Usually, you don’t need to clean cat ears. Most cats are healthy without it. However, sometimes they are susceptible to wax buildup or ear infections, regular ear cleaning may be important.
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Why Is It Crucial?
Due to the shape of the cat’s ear canal, it has become really difficult to remove the material that is trapped inside the horizontal canal without the aid of cleansings. If it isn’t removed, this substance might cause itching or infections in the ear.
Do I Require An Ear Cleanser?
It’s critical to use a high-quality ear wash. Cleaners with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide can irritate the ear canal, particularly if it is blocked or ulcerated. To assist prevent ear infections, most ear cleaners include antifungal and antibacterial components. The effectiveness of ear cleaners varies, depending on the cleaner. Some cleansers are superior at removing the build-up of wax. However, you may get help from your veterinarian in determining the type of solution that should be used for ear cleaning that would be ideal for your pet.
What Should I Use To Clean My Cat’s Ears?
You don’t need specific equipment to clean your cat’s ears need any specific equipment. All you need is gauze and some cotton balls, a good solution for ear cleaning, and some tasty rewards to entice your cat. Applicator with a cotton tip (Q-tips®) should not be used due to the danger of causing damage to the ear canal or perforating the eardrum. Applicator with a cotton tip can also push debris deeper into the canal.
Do All Cats Require Ear Cleaning?
No. Overcleaning your cat’s ears can irritate the ear canal and result in infection, as can under cleaning. Although most cats have clean ears, are healthy, and never require cleaning their ears, if you detect discharge or a scent while inspecting them, it is advised to clean them. You may get help from your veterinarian in determining how often your cat’s ears must be cleaned. Consult your veterinarian before you attempt to clean your cat’s ears if they are red, inflamed, or painful. Ear infections or ruptured eardrums are possible causes of this condition.
Step Wise Guide For Cleaning Ears
- Adjust yourself in a seated position, while holding your cat in the lap. If your cat is resistant towards ears cleaning, swaddling, or wrapping, her in a towel may assist with her relaxation.
- Hold the flap or pinna from the ear tip, which you should pull back slightly to reveal and straighten the ear canal.
- Use your other hand to hold the solution for ear cleaning while firmly but gently holding your cat’s ear flap with one hand.
- Fill your cat’s ear with a solution for ear cleaning. Use enough quantity of cleaner to fill the ear canal. It is acceptable if some of the solutions seep outside the canal. Make sure not to insert the bottle’s tip into your cat’s ear. Wipe the bottle tip with a clean ball of cotton wetted with alcohol to prevent germs or yeast from spreading if it comes into contact with your cat’s ear.
- Just keep holding the ear flap using one hand. Now, gently rub the base of the ear which is located below the opening of the ear for around 30 seconds using the other. The cleaning solution is gently pushed down into the ear canal using a special instrument, which allows the medication to break down any debris that may be there. As the solution moves in a horizontal line throughout the canal, you should hear a squishing sound.
- Hold the ear flap and wipe away all the debris from the upper ear canal to the inner area of the ear flap with a gaze or a cotton ball while still holding it.
- Make the cat shake her head. The remaining dirt from the canal of the ear and the cleaning solution will be expelled through the eardrum’s outer opening after this action.
- Remove any cleaning solution or dust remaining in the outer portion of the ear canal by grasping the ear flap and gently clearing it out with a gauze or cotton ball.
- Using gauze or a cotton ball, clean any dust or cleaning solution out of the ear canal. Only go into the canal only as long as your finger would go. Make sure you do not use a cotton-tipped applicator (Q-tip®) to remove the liquid from the ear canal. Pushing debris further into the canal may damage the ear canal or eardrum, or push it further down in your ear.
- Praise your cat and offer him/her some deliciousness.
- Iterate the same process on the other ear.
- If you feel the cat is in discomfort during the cleaning procedure, please consult the veterinarian.
- Repeat the cleaning process as often as suggested by the veterinarian.
If your cat is suffering from an ear infection, then after cleaning the ears, apply the prescription and put the medication into them.
Step Wise Guide for Applying Medication
Ear cleaning can be accomplished at any time and does not need to wait for the cat’s ears to dry out. The veterinarian will explain how many times the medication should be administered and how much quantity would be required.
- Grasp the end of the flap of the ear and pull it slightly to visualize and straighten the area of the ear canal.
- Make sure that you use the correct quantity of drops of prescribed medication by your veterinarian. Never put the bottle’s tip into your cat’s ear. Even if the tip of the bottle comes into contact with your cat’s ear, clean it off with a moist cotton ball that is dipped in alcohol to prevent bacteria or yeast from spreading.
- Keep on holding the flap of the ear. Then gently rub the base of the ear which is located below the opening of the ear for around 30 seconds. The medication should now be coated throughout the entire ear canal as a result of this procedure. Again, you should hear a squishing sound in your ear as a result of coating the horizontal portion of the canal with medicine.
- If the infection is concentrated in the inner portion of the flap of the ear, apply the prescribed quantity of medication to that area.
- Spread the drug out with the finger (most preferably wearing gloves).
- Reposition the filter on your glasses. Repeat this procedure with the second ear, if necessary.
- If dust or medicines accumulate on the flap section of the ear, a cotton ball that is soaked in a cleaning solution may be used to wipe it away.
