How To Clean Shih Tzu Ears (Quick Tutorial With Photos!)

Did you know you need to clean your Shih Tzu’s ears regularly?

Every Shih Tzu parent needs to know how to clean Shih Tzu ears, and we are here to teach you how!

If you didn’t know, many Shih Tzu are prone to ear infections. There can be multiple reasons for this, but it is often because of the excessive amount of hair that grows inside their ears.

When left unchecked, this pesky hair traps moisture. The build-up of moisture inside your Shih Tzu’s ears contributes to infections, smelly ears, itching, and excessive wax build-up.

Although most good groomers will know to pluck and clean a Shih Tzu’s ears, those unfamiliar with the Shih Tzu breed may not be checking your pup’s ears. And even if they do, your Shih Tzu might need their ears cleaned more frequently than a once-a-month trip to the groomer.

For this reason, if you own a Shih Tzu (or plan to one day!) you need to know how to clean their ears!

So today, we wanted to show you how to clean Shih Tzu ears from home!

We’ve used this method for years and it has worked well for all our dogs.

Repeat these three steps about every other week and your Shih Tzu will have healthy ears in no time!

You Will Need…

You will need a few simple tools to make the job quick and easy for you AND less painful for your Shih Tzu. 

• Hemostats
• Cotton balls
• This ear cleaning and drying solution

Step 1: Pluck Excess Hair

Simply trimming inside your Shih Tzu’s ears doesn’t help, since some hair remains deep inside the ear, harboring moisture.

That’s why plucking your Shih Tzu’s ears is a must! 

We use a hemostat to make this easier for us and less painful for our Shih Tzu. 

Use the hemostat to clamp small clumps of hair growing inside your Shih Tzu’s ears, twist, and give it a sharp yank! 

Always remember…the FASTER you pull, the less pain your pup will feel. So pull fast and hard!

Your Shih Tzu may try to pull away from you at first since this step is painful, so be patient with them. 

Be sure to take frequent breaks to pet and comfort your pup too – especially if this is their first time having their ears plucked! 

We also recommend you start by clamping very small chunks of hair when you and your pup are first getting the hang of this so it’s not too painful.

Step 2: Clean

You’ll need a cleaning and drying solution to draw out moisture and remove any dirt or wax from your Shih Tzu’s ears. 

We use Epi-Otic, since it’s the solution that our vet recommends.

If you want to make your own ear cleaning and drying solution, you can mix one part 91% rubbing alcohol and one part white vinegar in your own bottle and use that. (See our handy-dandy checklist below to get links to all the tools you need in one place!)

To clean your pup’s ears, simply fill their ear canal with the Epi-Otic solution, massage the ear a little bit, and then dump it out.

Our Truffle LOVES the massage part, as you can see in these photos! LOL!

Step 3: Dry

First, tear your cotton ball in half.

Then, twist one half of the cotton ball inside your pup’s ear to dry. 

If the cotton ball comes out dirty, (see image below) repeat step 2 and 3 as many times as needed until the cotton ball comes out clean.

And that’s it! Now you know how to clean Shih Tzu ears in three simple steps. 

Your Shih Tzu may not like it at first, but they’ll thank you later when their ears feel clean and dry!

How Often Do My Shih Tzu’s Ears Need Cleaning?

For most Shih Tzu, we recommend cleaning their ears every other week and plucking as needed when you notice the hair growing back.

However, if you notice your Shih Tzu’s ears get dirty more often, you might need to clean them once a week instead.

Note: Typically, if your Shih Tzu’s ears are sluffing gunk constantly, it may be a sign that their body is trying to detox because of a deeper issue. So if your Shih Tzu is showing signs of major ear irritation (you may notice them rubbing their head on the floor, frequently shaking their head, or trying to scratch inside their ears with their foot) always consult your vet.

Ready To Clean Your Shih Tzu’s Ears?

We created a checklist with all the tools and links mentioned in this blog post to make shopping easy for you!

Enter your info below and we’ll send you the checklist ASAP!

(You’ll also receive notifications from us when we drop more tips and tutorials like this blog post!)

Want more tips for keeping your Shih Tzu healthy?

See this blogpost to learn how to put together your own Shih Tzu puppy first-aid kit!

If you have any questions for us, please feel free to drop a comment below! We LOVE hearing your thoughts!