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The ear-check routine log
The ear check
- Look at the canal opening and inner flap for changes from your dog's usual appearance; redness, swelling, heavy wax or discharge is an entry.
- Notice odor changes. A new musty, sweet or unpleasant smell belongs in the log.
- Watch your dog over the week: scratching at the ear, head shaking, flinching when touched, rubbing the ear on the floor.
- Log it below - even an entry with no listed signs observed, so a recorded quiet check is distinguishable from a missing entry. How often to check is a question for your vet. Current red flags override this routine: do not wait to log or compare entries before calling your vet.
Red, painful, smelly or discharging ears skip the log-and-wait path - book the vet first (see the sign list, including the head-tilt emergency signs). The log's job is everything around the visits: early warning, and a real history instead of a guess.
A persistent head tilt, loss of balance or severe pain needs urgent veterinary attention. Do not wait to build a log or try cleaning first.
Log an ear check
Tick what you observed, add a short note, and the entry joins your printable history. It runs on this page only - nothing is stored on a server or sent anywhere, and closing the tab clears it, so print what you want to keep.
Make the printout work for you
Bring the printed log to appointments - dated notes can include onset dates, which ear, what the discharge looked and smelled like, and whether flares track with seasons, swims or food changes. For swimmers and floppy-eared dogs, pair this with the routine in swimmers and floppy ears; if the log shows a repeating pattern, read chronic ear issues before the next visit.