How to properly clean the ears of pets

How to clean pets' ears properly?

An important part of a pet's hygiene is caring for the ears. In most cases, clinically healthy animals do not need additional cleaning. However, there are breeds of dogs and cats that produce excessive earwax, have an anatomically narrow ear canal, and have large and prolapsed ears. In this case, additional hygiene and care of the ear canal is necessary.

There are also a number of diseases that can cause anxiety and itching in the area of the ears, but the reason for this is not only ear diseases, but, for example, neoplasms in the ear canal, endocrinological diseases (Cushing's syndrome), atopic dermatitis. In such cases, cleaning the ears without treating the underlying disease will not give a positive result.

In no case should the ears be cleaned with cotton swabs (and similar devices), or with various solutions not intended for cleaning (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol solutions, oil solutions, etc.). There is a risk of causing perforation of the eardrum, leaving a part of a foreign object (cotton wool) in the ear canal.

Anatomically, the auditory canal of dogs and cats consists of horizontal and vertical canals, which makes it difficult to clean them properly. Very often, owners clean only the vertical part of the auditory canal (forgetting/not knowing about the horizontal part), so all the sulfur and inflammatory factors accumulate in the horizontal part, thereby causing inflammation of the canal skin, itching, pain, and otitis media.

Cleaning of the ears should be carried out correctly, with a special solution and only when this procedure is necessary. Your veterinarian can advise you on this after conducting the necessary examination, otoscopy, and cytology.

Cleaning of the ears is carried out in a calm atmosphere; after the procedure, you can give your pet a treat to reward it for good behavior. You should never shout, scare animals, or hold them by force, as this procedure may cause negative associations in the future.

Pour the required amount of solution into the ear canal, massage at the base of the ear canal so that the cleanser fills the vertical and horizontal auditory canals, wait 2-3 minutes, do not let the pet shake its head, then let it shake the lotion out of the ear canals and gently wipe the visible part of the ear canal with a napkin. Both canals can be cleaned simultaneously or alternately.

If your pet experiences severe discomfort or pain during this procedure, you should contact your veterinarian.