Check your pet’s ears weekly. A slight amount of waxy buildup may be present in normal ears.   If your dog swims a lot, has pendulous ears or a history of ear disease, routine cleaning (often once to three times per week) is recommended. Use the same procedure as described above. Excess hair around the ear can be clipped to allow more air flow. Treat any underlying condition that predisposes your pet to ear problems.

Remember, if your pet is showing severe discomfort, the ears have a bad smell, or the ear canals look very abnormal, don’t delay in contacting your veterinarian. If your pet has a ruptured or weakened eardrum, some ear cleansers and medications could do more harm than good.

Cleaning your pets ears
Your pet’s ear is more L-shaped than yours, and debris loves to collect at the corner of the L. To remove this debris, fill your pet’s ear canal with a good ear cleaner . Ear cleaners should be slightly acidic but should NOT sting. Massage the base of the ear for 20-30 seconds to soften and release the debris. Wipe out the loose debris and excess fluid with a cotton ball. Repeat this procedure until you see no more debris. Depending on your pet’s ear condition, you may have to start out doing this twice a day.
 

Cotton applicator swabs can be used to clean the inside of the earflap and the part of the ear canal you can see. They should NOT be used farther down in the ear canal since that tends to pack debris in the ear canal, rather than removing it.

Some ear problems are so painful, the pet must be anesthetized to do a good job of cleaning the ears. You may find your pet does not like to have her ears cleaned because it is uncomfortable. Talking to her during the process, stopping momentarily to give her a treat if she's doing well and doing something fun afterwards may all help.

After the ear is clean, let the animal shake his head and allow some time for the ears to dry. Then you can apply any ear medication that was prescribed.