Ear Hygiene is important and should be attended at least once a month.
Should you puppy or adult dog experience….
EAR HANGING – EAR SCRATCHING – EAR IRRITATION
Most likely your dog has an ear infection that is deeper in the ear. They can be painful which will cause the dog to hold the ear down and even appear lower than the other. A trip to the veterinarian is recommended as a culture will be needed to determine what type of bacteria or fungus is affecting the ear and which would be the best treatment option. You can also purchase an ear wash for dogs, fill the ear canal, massage the ear at the base, and let her shake her head wiping the excess. This will not clear the infection but may remove some of the debris deeper in the ear canal and allow her to be a bit more comfortable. At this time an ear infection is not considered an emergency but waiting over the weekend for a visit may result in a worsening of the infection. The vet will most likely flush the ears, dispense ear medications and oral antibiotics if the infection is bacterial and recommend routine cleaning.
My take on this:
Walmart has an ear mites wash and treatment. Both cost less than $5/each. Give your dog a bath and wash his ears out as good as possible. Apply the ear wash treatment, rub it deep into his ears, wait one minute and flush it with the hose jet lightly. Repeat, should a lot of dirt come out. Dry your dog off, use Q-tips and clean his ears out thoroughly until your Q-tips are white. Now apply the ear mite treatment (read label). Cover his ear, using his own ear flop, and rub it deep into the ear. He will shake, but place a towel over his head, so the medication and debris does not come out.
Another reason for your dog’s ear hanging might be that he needs a stem taped up in his ear, but this is usually done in small pups, generally German Shepard’s. If a dog is older, and he always had his ears up and suddenly 1 year later his ears or one ear hangs, it is usually an ear mite infection. Please don’t worry, since this can be cleared up with the instructions from the paragraph before.