When it comes to bloodhounds, "outer ear" is a misnomer. Those long, droopy ears seem to go on forever, so the outer ear is actually the ear canal down to about where the ear meets the noggin. Cleaning this once a day prevents bacteria growth, which commonly afflicts this breed.
Step 1
Wipe out the ears once a day using a clean, warm, moist towel. Alternatively, use a moist, medicated ear wipe. Lift up that big, floppy ear and gently wipe it out with the pad. Prevention is key with bloodhounds, because those ears can easily collect moisture and bacteria that leads to infection. Wiping them out every day isn't the only recourse, but it helps.
Step 2
Clean out the ears more thoroughly on a weekly basis. Holding up the ear from the tip again, place the nozzle of a bottle of dog ear cleaning solution at the opening of the ear canal and squirt. Put the flap back down over the canal and gently massage the solution into place near the base of the ear.
Step 3
Wipe out the ear with a cotton ball, then take a step back to let your dog shake his head. When he shakes, he's shaking loose the solution down in his ear canal and forcing it out, along with any debris and general nastiness it collected in there. Gently wipe out the ear canal opening with a cotton ball, repeating until it comes out clean. Repeat with the other ear.
