How to Clean a French Bulldog's Ears

French bulldogs have big, bat-like ears that stick up on top of their head. Because of the shape of their ears, they may collect debris and require more attention than other types of dog ears. Clean the outer parts of your French bulldog’s ears any time they look dirty, and clean the inside of their ears at least once per month. Be sure to check for issues each time you clean your dog’s ears and take your dog to see a veterinarian if you suspect a problem.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Wiping the Outer Areas of Your Dog’s Ears

Download Article

1
Hold your dog by the collar to keep it steady. Your dog may be a little resistant to having its ears wiped out. Try sitting on the floor with your French bulldog between your legs or on your lap. Hold its collar with 1 hand and use the other hand to wipe out its ears. Keep treats nearby, and give your dog a treat at the beginning and end of the process.
- If your dog will not sit still and you are having a hard time cleaning its ears, position it with its butt in the corner of a room and its side against a wall. Then, sit on the other side of your dog to keep it still.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Ask a friend or family member to help you if possible!
2
Wipe out the visible parts of your dog’s ear with a moist paper towel. Wet a clean paper towel with ear cleaning solution and wring out the excess so that it is just damp. Then use the paper towel to wipe out the visible parts of the inside and outside of your French bulldog’s ear.^{[2]XResearch source}
- This is a great way to keep your dog’s ears looking their best without irritating them. If you are mostly concerned about surface dirt, wiping your dog’s ears with a damp paper towel may be all you need to do.
- Never use water to wipe out your dog's ears! It causes the skin to soften and swell, which puts your dog at risk of infection.
Advertisement
3
Wet a cotton ball with ear cleansing solution. Only use ear solution that is made specially for dogs. Squirt enough ear cleansing solution onto a cotton ball to wet it. It should be wet all the way through, and it is okay if there is some excess solution dripping off the cotton ball.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Don’t worry about getting ear cleaning solution in your French bulldog’s ear canal! Your dog will shake it out after you finish cleaning its ears.^{[4]XResearch source}
- You may need multiple wet cotton balls to clean out your dog’s ears. Soak 1 at a time and wet a new 1 after 1 has visible dirt and debris on it.
4
Wipe around the outside of your dog’s ear canal with the cotton ball. Press the cotton ball against the inside of your French bulldog’s ear and wipe around the visible parts. Wipe the outside of the ear canal to clean any dirt and debris at the opening, but do not push the cotton ball down into your dog’s ear canal.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Repeat with as many cotton balls as needed to get your dog’s ears clean.
- Never push a cotton ball, cotton swab, or other item into the inside of your dog’s ear! This will push the debris further into your dog’s ear. You may even puncture your dog’s eardrum, which would be painful for your dog. Take your dog to a veterinarian if you are concerned about debris trapped in your dog’s ear canal.
5
Let your French bulldog shake out the excess solution. After you have finished wiping around the outside of your dog’s ear canal, release your dog’s ear and let your dog shake out any solution that has run down into their ear canal. Your dog may also shake out some debris from the inside of its ears in the process.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Move away from your dog quickly to avoid getting splashed with the excess solution and debris!
- You can let your dog shake its ears for as long as needed, but it should only take a few minutes.
6
Wipe your French bulldog’s ear with a dry paper towel or cloth. After your dog has had a chance to shake out its ears, use a dry paper towel or cloth to wipe around the inside of your dog’s ears. Make sure that the inside of your dog’s ears are completely dry.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Don’t skip drying your French Bulldog’s ears! Wetness can lead to bacteria, fungus, and infections, so it is very important to keep your dog’s ears dry!
- After you have finished cleaning and drying 1 of your dog’s ears, repeat the process on the other ear. Make sure to reward your dog with a treat after you are finished with each ear!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning Your Dog’s Ear Canals

Download Article

1
Position your dog in the corner of a room if it will not sit still for you. Cleaning the inside of your dog’s ears is a bit hard and it may not want to stay still for you. Positioning your dog in a corner and using your body to keep your dog still will help to make the process easier on both of you. Your French bulldog’s butt should be in the corner and its side should be right up against the wall. Sit on the other side of your dog to help keep it still while you clean its ears.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Since your dog will shake solution and gunk out of its ears when you clean them, you may want to do this outside, such as on your patio.
- If you clean your dog’s ears indoors, make sure there is nothing around that would be damaged by ear cleaning solution or debris, such as food or delicate clothing.
- Ask a friend to help you by holding your dog steady! This will free up both of your hands to clean your dog's ears.
2
Grasp your French bulldog’s ear flap near the top and gently pull up. Grasp the earflap near the top of the ear you will be cleaning first. Pull it upwards gently to help open up the ear canal. Hold the ear in this position with 1 hand while you clean the ear with your other hand.^{[9]XResearch source}
- French bulldogs have large ears. Holding the earflap while you clean each of your dog’s ears will help you get cleansing solution deep into the ear canal for a thorough cleaning.
- If your dog shows signs of pain when you do this, such as whining or yelping, then stop and take it to see a veterinarian. Your dog may have an ear infection.
3
Squirt ear cleansing solution into your dog’s ear canal until it is full. Grasp the ear cleaning solution bottle and begin squirting it into your French bulldog’s ear canal. Keep squirting in ear cleaning solution until the ear canal is full.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Don’t be afraid to use too much ear cleaning solution. You can keep squirting it in until it runs out your dog’s ear.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Keep the tip away from your dog’s ear. If it touches your dog’s ear, wipe it off with an alcohol pad. Otherwise, the solution may become contaminated with yeast and bacteria.
4
Massage the base of the dog’s ear while still holding the flap. Put down the cleansing solution and use your fingertips to gently massage the base of your French bulldog’s ear canal. This will move the solution around and help to break up and debris in the ear.^{[12]XResearch source} Massage your dog’s ear canal for 20 to 30 seconds.^{[13]XResearch source}
- You should hear a squishing sound as you massage your dog’s ear canal. This is the solution moving around inside your dog’s ear.
- Your dog will probably not like this part. Make sure to talk to your dog while you massage its ear and offer praise, such as by saying, “What a good dog!” or “Almost done, buddy. Good job!” You could even give your dog a treat at this time.
5
Release your French bulldog’s ear and allow it to shake its head. After you finish filling up your dog’s ear canal with ear cleaning solution, your dog will do the rest. Let go of your dog and let it shake out the solution for a few minutes.^{[14]XResearch source}
- You may want to move away from your dog quickly to avoid getting hit with ear cleaning solution and debris!
- Keep in mind that this is how dogs normally clean out their ears in the wild. Your dog will shake for as long as it needs to get the solution out.
6
Wipe the visible inner parts of your dog’s ear with a dry cotton ball. After your French bulldog has finished shaking its ears out, get a dry cotton ball or piece of gauze and begin drying your dog’s ear. Dry out the visible parts of your dog’s ear only. Do not try to push the cotton or gauze down into your dog’s ear canal.^{[15]XResearch source}
- You may need multiple cotton balls or pieces of gauze to dry out your dog’s ears.
- Repeat the process for the other ear after you finish cleaning the first ear.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Promoting Good Ear Health

Download Article

1
Look into your dog’s ear canal with a flashlight to check for issues.^{[16]XResearch source} If you suspect a problem, do this before cleaning your dog's ears. When you are looking into your French bulldog’s ears, check for signs of infection, such as drainage, redness, for swelling. Also, watch your dog to check for signs of pain when you touch its ears. If you notice a foul odor, this may also indicate an infection. Sniff your dog’s ears to check them.^{[17]XResearch source}
- If you notice any issues, take your dog to see a veterinarian.
- Never use cotton swabs to try to dig out dirt and debris! If there is something deep in your dog’s ear canal that you cannot reach, take your dog to see a veterinarian.
2
Purchase ear cleansing solution meant for dogs. Your French bulldog’s veterinarian can recommend an ear cleansing solution that will be safe and helpful for cleaning your dog’s ears. They can also prescribe ear cleansing solution, such as if your dog has a bacterial or fungal infection.^{[18]XResearch source}
- Avoid ear cleansing solutions that contain hydrogen peroxide or alcohol since these can irritate your dog’s ears.^{[19]XResearch source}
- Mineral oil is fine for cleaning the outer areas of your dog’s ears, but do not squirt mineral oil into your dog’s ear canal.^{[20]XTrustworthy SourceAmerican Kennel ClubThe American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.Go to source}
3
Reward your dog for good behavior during and after cleaning its ears. Providing positive reinforcement in the form of treats and praise will help to make future ear cleaning sessions easier. Keep a bag of your French bulldog’s favorite treats nearby to reward it during and after the process. Also, talk to your dog and give it lots of praise while you clean its ears.^{[21]XResearch source}
- For example, you could give your dog a treat while it sits with the solution in their ear, or immediately after it shakes out the solution.
- Be sure to tell your dog things like, “What a good pup!” and “Good girl!” to reinforce its good behavior. If your hands are free, you can also give your dog a pat on the head or back as you praise them.
4
Clean the inside of your French bulldog’s ears once per month. Unless your veterinarian has instructed you to clean your dog’s ears more or less frequently, a once monthly cleaning should be sufficient to keep them healthy and free of debris. However, you might need to clean your dog’s ears more often if you suspect a problem or if your veterinarian has recommended a different schedule.^{[22]XTrustworthy SourceAmerican Kennel ClubThe American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.Go to source}
- For example, if your French bulldog has an infection, then it might need to have its ears cleaned daily until the infection clears up.
- Keep in mind that over-cleaning your dog’s ears can also lead to problems. Don’t clean your dog’s ears more than your veterinarian recommends.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Cleaning a French bulldog’s ears can be messy! You may want to put on an old t-shirt before you get started.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Never put any object into your French bulldog’s ear canal to try to clean it! You may puncture your dog’s eardrum by inserting a cotton swab or something else into it.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0