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My dog cried after Q-tip ear cleaning and vomited. What do I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 8 years and 1 month old | 10.5 lbs

I was cleaning my dog's ear with a Q-tip and she cried and pulled away. I am worried about the possible injury I may have caused inside her ear. I don't know if it's related but she threw up about 10 minutes after the incident. About one hour after that, she ate her dinner fine. I touched her ear but she doesn't mind being touched and doesn't show any sign of pain. Her walk is fine. No blood or discharge so far. No head tilt either. Please advise me on what to do/look for. Thank you

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Catherine Stecyk

Veterinarian

Published on December 7th, 2018

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Cookie yelped and vomited following her ear cleaning. The inside of dogs' ears is very sensitive, and we NEVER recommend cleaning their ears with Q-tips, for risk of causing damage to the ear drum (tympanic membrane). As long as she is acting normally at home (no head tilt, not ear scratching or head shaking, eating/drinking/urinating and defecating normally), she will likely be OK! From now on, please only ever clean her ears gently with a dry cotton ball, and only clean the visible, external portion of the ear canal. I hope this is helpful!

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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