Pet parents know how easy it is for your dog’s ears to get caked up with all kinds of dirt and debris. That’s where ear wipes come in, but it’s tricky to find the best ones. To help you in this endeavor, we’ve reviewed some of the best ear wipes for dogs you can order today.

Join us below as we explore what makes each one worth using so you can find the best fit for your dog’s ears.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2024 Update)

The 8 Best Ear Wipes for Dogs

1. Vet’s Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes – Best Overall

Our top pick for best ear wipes goes to the Vet’s Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes, which cleans most ordinary buildup and discharge that might come from your dog’s ears. They also remove the musty ear odor and soothe your dog’s skin rather than irritate it like wipes that contain alcohol. The active ingredients, including aloe vera, witch hazel, and tea tree oil, dissolve gunk instead of sliding it around on your dog’s ears. Clean-up becomes a simple matter of wipe-on and wipe-off.

On the flip side, tea tree oil can irritate your dog if the wipes are used in excess, and user reviews indicate the wipes dry out pretty quickly too.

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2. Frisco Ear Wipes for Dogs – Best Value

Frisco Ear Wipes for Dogs are the best bang for your buck, with 100 wipes in each package for the same price as other products with far fewer wipes. They use the gentle cleaning power of eucalyptus oil and the soothing action of aloe vera to neatly wipe away ear wax, dirt, and debris from your dog’s ears. There’s no tea tree oil or alcohol, so you don’t have to worry about irritating your dog’s ears by using them a little too often. For bonus points, it has a fresh, herbal scent.

As for drawbacks, the wipes are a little smaller and thinner than competitors, so you’ll have to be delicate. The other flaw is that the scent is powerful and may be off-putting to some dogs that don’t like the scent of eucalyptus.

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3. Hepper Wash Wipes – Premium Choice

If you’re sick of undersized, flimsy, and abrasive ear wipes, these luxurious jumbo-sized Hepper Wash Wipes could be what you need. The wipes aren’t quite as large as a paper towel but have plenty of surface area to pick up the dirtiest ears out there. These generously sized wipes can double as all-purpose cleaning wipes, in fact, with moisturizing ingredients like aloe that leave your pup’s coat silky smooth, shiny, and clean.

Our only gripe is that there aren’t as many wipes in the package as other entries on our list, but you could argue that their large size makes up for that.

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4. PetMD Aloe Vera & Eucalyptus Dog Ear Wipes

These gentle ear wipes from PetMD are formulated with eucalyptus and aloe to softly clean your dog’s ears on a day-to-day basis when they get a little dirty outside. There’s no alcohol, tea tree oil, or other irritating ingredients, and we’re happy to say the wipes are very wet and definitely won’t dry out like some competitors. These are a great choice for keeping your dog’s ears moisturized and preventing painful rashes.

Unfortunately, they’re not meant to treat any sort of skin infection or fungal infection, and the sopping wet wipes can make cleaning a bit of a mess. Otherwise, they’re a solid all-around ear wipe for any dog out there.

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5. Petpost Dog Ear Cleaner Wipes

If your dog has sensitive ears that need special care, these wipes from Petpost are a fantastic choice. They use a super gentle blend of coconut oil and aloe vera to wipe away mud, ear wax, and any other nasty gunk that can build up. The wipes themselves are made of luxuriantly soft cotton and feel pleasing to the touch, so you know your dog won’t mind them. These are on the wet side for a wipe, which can be a plus for a lot of people.

Sadly, they can be a tad too wet, and that may not be to other people’s tastes. The other con you should know is that they’re a smidge on the expensive side too, so that may be a factor for some folks.

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6. Natureland Dog Ear Wipes

If you’re sick of strongly scented wipes, this product from Natureland might fit the bill. They have a mild aloe vera formula that’s gentle enough for any dog’s ears on a day-to-day basis without any overwhelming or harmful additives like alcohol or tea tree oil. Our favorite part is that they’re more of a thick pad, which will surely win some fans who are sick of thin, easily torn ear wipes. There’s even a gently woven texture to make the experience even more soothing for your dog.

The main issue is that the pads aren’t very moist compared to some of the other wipes on the market, but that may not be a dealbreaker for everybody.

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7. Curaseb Cat & Dog Ear Infection Treatment Wipes

These medicated wipes from Curaseb contain ketoconazole, which is a powerful antifungal medicine used to treat skin rashes that may occur in your dog’s ears. They’re invaluable in combating itchy, inflamed ear flaps that occur due to a fungal or bacterial infection. It also helps remedy bacterial and yeast infections, too! While not the kind of wipes you use on a daily basis, you’ll be happy you have some around if your dog gets an angry, itchy ear infection.

As mentioned, these aren’t daily-use wipes, and you shouldn’t substitute them for a gentle ear wipe—there’s simply no need to use them if your dog’s ears aren’t currently suffering an infection. They’re pretty thin, anyway.

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8. Bodhi Pet Grooming Wipes

For dogs with extremely sensitive skin, finding the right ear wipes can be a challenge. These thick cloth wipes from Bodhi do an admirable job cleaning out all the usual buildup while soothing the skin with rich ingredients like murumuru butter and aloe. Despite that, the wipes have a very neutral scent that won’t irritate even the most allergenic fur babies out there.

While useful to clean away day-to-day buildup, these wipes do poorly at neutralizing unpleasant odors and don’t hold much moisture.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Ear Wipes for Dogs

Before going on a quest to find the best ear wipes, you need to consider some key things. These include what active ingredients to be aware of, the difference between medicated and non-medicated wipes, and when you should be cleaning your pup’s ears.

Active Ingredients

There are a lot of common ingredients you see used in the wipes above, but you may be a little fuzzy on exactly what they do for your dog’s ears. Check out our bullet list below for a better idea.

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Medicated vs. Non-Medicated Ear Wipes: Which to Choose?

As a general rule, we recommend you use non-medicated wipes to clean your dog’s ears on a regular basis. We only included one medicated product on our list, but they have a valuable but strictly defined purpose: to fight existing skin infections and inflamed skin in your dog’s ears.

Do not use them as a substitute for non-medicated wipes. They typically offer no moisturizing benefits anyway.

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When to Clean Your Dog’s Ears

Tiny specks of ear wax or dirt find their way into your dog’s ears throughout their daily routine, and honestly, there’s not much of a need to clean them unless they’re visibly dirty.

Some breeds, like the Bloodhound, though, have long and floppy ears that are prime breeding grounds for ear and skin infections. If your dog’s ears are the droopy sort, we recommend cleaning them more frequently than, say, a Husky’s ears.

Conclusion

Ear wipes are an underrated but important thing to have for when your dog’s ears are looking really gross, and there are a lot of high-quality options out there to choose from. We recommend the Vet’s Best Ear Relief Finger Wipes if you want the best of the best, but the Frisco Ear Wipes for Dogs is a solid budget pick if you’re strapped for cash.

Hopefully, with all these reviews, you’re able to find one that works best for your pet.

• See also: Is Tea Tree Oil Safe for Dogs?

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Featured Image Credit: ilona.shorokhova, Shuttertock