Fur maintained, check. Teeth cleaned, check. Nails cut, check. But how about ear cleaning with dog ear cleaning solutions?
Sometimes, ear cleaning is one neglected but essential part of your Shiba Inu’s grooming routine. Unfortunately, ear infections are common in dogs, and these are caused by different factors, including wax buildup and moisture that grows bacteria and yeast.
However, these can all be avoided if you clean your Shiba’s ear when needed. To effectively clean the ear, you need dog ear cleaning solutions, specifically those recommended by veterinarians.
The ear cleaner to reach for is a liquid solution your veterinarian recommends, matched to your dog's need: a plain maintenance cleanser for routine upkeep, a drying formula for a dog that swims, and a medicated one only when a vet has identified yeast or bacteria. Skip homemade kitchen mixes and human products, which can irritate or damage the sensitive ear canal. A dog's ear canal bends at a right angle, so a proper cleaner is a liquid you squirt in and massage, not a wipe that only reaches the flap. Shibas carry upright ears, which get better airflow than floppy breeds, but they still develop wax, yeast, and allergy-driven ear trouble. And this is the key point: a cleaner is for maintenance, not for treating an infection. Redness, odor, or head shaking means a vet visit, because the wrong product on an already-inflamed ear makes things worse.
The short version, in four parts:
- Use a liquid cleaner your vet recommends, not homemade or human products.
- Match the formula to the job: maintenance, drying after swims, or medicated.
- Liquid cleaners reach the angled canal that wipes cannot.
- Cleaners maintain healthy ears; suspected infection is a vet visit, not a stronger cleaner.
What to look for in dog ear cleaning solutions
To make sure you are keeping your dog’s ears clean and healthy, there are a few things you should look for when buying dog ear cleaning solutions.
Recommended by veterinarians
There are a lot of homemade dog ear cleaning solutions online. These are indeed cheaper since ingredients can mostly be found in your kitchen. However, these have not undergone extensive testing, and some components can harm or irritate your dog’s ears.
So only use dog ear cleaning solutions your veterinarian recommends.
Choose liquid ear cleaners instead of wipes
Liquid ear cleaners are more recommended than wipes because they are more effective.
A dog’s ear canal is long, narrow, and has a right-angle shape, so wipes aren’t able to reach down to it and effectively clean it.
On the other hand, liquid cleaners get out all of the debris by allowing owners to squirt it into the canal, massage the base of the ears, and let the dog shake the dirt out.
However, if your dog is not comfortable with ear cleaning with liquid cleaners or is new to it, dog ear wipes are a good choice for starters.
Dog-safe ingredient
Check the labels first and make sure all ingredients are safe for dogs.
The ingredients will also tell you what the cleaner does. For example:
- Salicylic acid and lactic acid. These are antimicrobial and prevent yeast or mild bacterial infections.
- Hydrocortisone. Helps fight itchiness.
- Ketoconazole. An antifungal treatment.
Know what your dog needs
Some cleaners are made for specific ear cleaning needs. Some cleaners are better at removing was, while others are suited for drying an ear after swimming. Others also lean more towards preventing yeast, bacteria, or fungi.
You can consult your veterinarian to know what your dog needs the most.
The Best Dog Ear Cleaning Solutions
It is important only to use dog ear cleaning solutions that your veterinarian recommends. This is because while homemade cleaning solutions are cheaper and more convenient, they might contain harmful ingredients to your Shiba Inu.
We’ve listed the best dog ear cleaning solutions recommended by vets.
For Multiple Symptoms: Great Ears Multi-Symptom Dog Ear Cleaner
Some dog ears just have it all. Dirty, smelly, and itchy. The good news is the Great Ears Multi-Symptom Dog Ear Cleaner solves all three issues in one cleaner.
This product is made with plant-based ingredients from the USA. It is free of alcohol, sulfates, phosphates, and irritating chemicals.
This dog ear cleanser is designed for dogs with floppy ears like the Spaniels, Poodles, Basset Hounds, Beagles, and more. This mild solution can be used for regular cleaning to prevent wax buildup, infections, and yeast and can be used for all ages and puppies over 12 weeks.
It has an ergonomically designed bottle tip, making it easier to put into a dog’s ear.
For Drying: Dechra EpiKlean Ear Cleaner
The Dechra EpiKlean Ear Cleaner is our pick for the best dog ear cleaning solution for drying.
This product is safe to use even when there is no infection or before applying ear medications. It consists of drying agents like salicylic acid that help keep the ear canals dry and prevent ear infections. It’s a good item, especially when your dog likes swimming.
It works in both cleansing and drying the ears.
For Bacterial Infections: MalAcetic Otic Cleanser
Veterinarians love the MalAcetic Otic Cleanser because it is effective against bacterial infections. It is formulated with acetic and boric acid that helps with pH balance on the surface of the dog’s ear.
It has antimicrobial properties that prevent and treat milk to moderate bacterial infections.
For Maintenance: Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution
The Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution is a trusted product in the veterinary industry. It is used in animal hospitals and is from a trusted brand.
It is an ear cleansing solution made with ingredients that reduce inflammation. In addition, it contains safe dog ingredients like aloe vera, which moisturizes dry ears. Long-time users of this product can attest that it effectively cleans their dog’s ears.
What to look for in dog ear cleaning solutions
The best dog ear cleaning solutions recommended by vets
Signs a Shiba's ears need attention, and when it is a vet call
A good cleaner keeps healthy ears healthy. It is not a treatment. Knowing which signs mean "clean this week" and which mean "book the vet" keeps you from pouring product into an ear that needs medicine.
- Light wax or a faint doggy smell. A little wax and a mild odor are normal, and this is exactly what a maintenance cleaner is for. Clean, dry, and move on. If the ear looks calm and the dog is not bothered, routine cleaning is enough.
- Head shaking or ear scratching. Occasional shaking is fine. Repeated shaking, or a dog scratching at one ear, suggests irritation, moisture, or the start of an infection. Clean and watch closely, and if it keeps up, that is a vet conversation.
- Strong odor or dark discharge. A sharp, yeasty, or foul smell and brown or black gunk point to a yeast or bacterial infection. This is past what a cleaner fixes. Pouring cleaner into an infected ear can drive debris deeper, so this is a vet visit, not a cleaning session.
- Redness, swelling, or heat. An inflamed ear canal is painful and often infected. Do not clean an angry ear; a medicated product chosen by a vet is what it needs. Cleaning an inflamed canal at home usually makes the dog associate ears with pain.
- Head tilt or balance changes. A persistent head tilt, loss of balance, or a dog that suddenly guards one ear can signal a deeper or middle-ear problem. This is a prompt vet visit, not something any cleaner addresses.
We boarded a young Shiba whose owner had been cleaning a smelly ear daily for a week with a maintenance product, convinced she just needed to clean harder. The ear was actually a yeast infection, red and sore underneath, and the daily cleaning was irritating it further. Her vet put the dog on the right medicated product and it cleared. The lesson: more cleaning is not the answer to an infected ear. If you are weighing the day-to-day care a Shiba needs before committing, our honest guide to whether a Shiba Inu is right for you is candid about it, and the actual technique is broken down in how to clean your Shiba Inu's ears in four easy steps.
What we have seen with Shiba ears since 2019
Across 250-plus Shibas boarded and placed since 2019, the good news is that upright Shiba ears get more airflow than floppy breeds, so chronic ear infections are less common than in a Spaniel or a Basset Hound. The trouble we do see clusters around two causes: moisture after baths or swimming, and allergies that inflame the ear along with the skin. Both respond far better to catching them early than to scrubbing harder once they flare.
What worked: drying ears thoroughly after any water, a gentle maintenance clean only when there was visible wax, and treating odor or redness as a reason to stop cleaning and call a vet. What did not work: daily cleaning of a healthy ear, which can strip the canal and cause its own irritation, and using leftover medicated drops from a past infection without a vet's say-so. We are not diagnosing ears on a boarding cot; we clean the healthy ones and flag the questionable ones. Our in-home boarding includes vet transport, so a dog with a suspicious ear can get seen promptly. Which product, and whether it is medicated, is always a veterinarian's decision.
Related questions
How often should I clean my Shiba's ears?
Only as often as they need it, which for a healthy upright-eared Shiba is often just a check during weekly grooming and a clean when you see wax. Over-cleaning a healthy ear can strip protective oils and cause irritation. Clean more after baths or swimming, when trapped moisture is the risk. When in doubt about frequency for your individual dog, ask your vet.
Can I use cotton swabs in my Shiba's ears?
No. Cotton swabs push debris deeper into the angled canal and can damage the eardrum. Clean the visible part of the ear only, using a vet-recommended liquid cleaner and cotton balls or gauze on the outer folds. Let the dog shake out the loosened debris after you massage the base. Anything deeper is a job for your veterinarian.
Are ear infections common in Shiba Inus?
Less common than in floppy-eared breeds, because upright ears get better airflow, but Shibas still get them, usually tied to moisture or allergies. Signs include odor, dark discharge, redness, head shaking, and scratching. An ear infection needs a vet diagnosis and often a medicated product, not just more cleaning. Catch it early and it is far easier to clear.
What to read next
For the step-by-step method, read how to clean your Shiba Inu's ears in four easy steps. Since allergies drive a lot of ear trouble, our guide to Shiba Inu skin allergies is worth a read, and ear care fits into the wider routine in grooming your Shiba Inu. If you travel and want ears checked and cleaned for you, our in-home boarding keeps it up and can arrange vet transport if something looks off.
Need in-home boarding for your Shiba?
Small groups, five walks a day, never a kennel. Daycare and vet transport included.