# How do you clean the ears?



## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

Ellie is now 5 months old and her ears have been cleaned only twice. Once by the vet connected with the pet store and once, hopefully, by the groomer.

The vet sold me an ear cleaning product called OtiRinse and told me to put it in the ear and then use a QTip. I am much too terrified to use a QTip.

Could someone please describe in as much detail as possible, the procedure for properly cleaning their ears and how often it should be done.

Thanks.

Louise


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We do Scooter's each time he has a bath or if we notice they're getting yucky. I wouldn't use a Q-Tip on a squirming puppy though! We saturate half of a cotton ball for each ear and rub all around the places we can reach. Then we have a drying liquid that you just put a small bead-size drop on the inside of the ear, flip his ear over and rub.

I'd ask your vet if you aren't sure.


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## Jan D (Mar 13, 2007)

I squirt a couple of drops into Havee's ear(he doesn't like this part), rub his ears to work it in(he loves this part), and then clean a bit into his ear with a cleaner dampened cottonball. Then he runs around the house like a maniac wedging himself and rubbing his ears between the couch and the pillows so that all the pillows end up on the floor. It's a fun routine. Oh, then the last part is mommy picking up the pillows and putting them back on the couches:frusty:

It's very funny to watch. Whenever my daughter is here she asks me to clean his ears so she can watch him become a lunatic ound: I wouldn't use a Qtip though.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

I too use cotton balls and like Jan said, squirt a few drops in the ears and rub the ears. I also trim the hair in their ears with round-tipped scissors. I can't bring to pull the hair out. I don't use Q-Tips. I also sniff the ears to make sure that they smell clean. If I notice that they are scratching the ears more often, I make sure that the ear canal is dry and clean. The ears have a slight foul odor if it's a beginning of infection.


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

I would not use Q-tips. My Vet told me the biggest mistake people make is not to put enough cleaner in the ear canal. It needs to make a nice wet noise when you massage the ear base, after squirting some ear cleaner in it. After a minute or so, encourage the dog to shake its head and clean the inside of the ear with a soft cloth or paper towel. Pablo absolutely HATES it if I squirt the liquid in the ear canal. I saturate a tissue with it and squeeze it out into his ear, hard to explain. I would only clean the ears after bathing and if the dog keeps scratching its ears or shaking its head. Too much cleaning will interfere with the natural balance in the ear canal.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Louise, I understand that if there is a lot of hair in the ear that you might want to remove it or have the groomer remove it. The groomer did it for me the first time, but Jackson has a lot, and I just use blunt tweezers to remove a few at a time. It doesn't seem to bother him much, but I don't make a long session of it . . . try to break it into several sessions.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I also remove the hairs down deep in the ear canal....whatever I can reach. Dexter does not even flinch when I am removing the hairs down the canal. This reminds me, I need to check to see how many hairs are in those ears!

Dexter has lotssssssssssssss of hair in his ears and sometimes he will scratch his ears and I am thinking the hairs are tickling him. 

I also clean the ears after bathing.


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## triona (Dec 22, 2008)

What cleaner do you use in the ears? Is it commercial or a vet supplied thing?

Triona


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I just use a commerical ear cleaner from the Pet Store.


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## Jérôme (Dec 5, 2008)

Every month I am using a liquid named Epi-Otic ( a ear cleaner), I put a quantity in the ears and then do a massage, I am also removing the hairs inside the ears with my finger


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We use Epi-Otic too, bought it at Petsmart.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

When Shelby had an ear infection a few weeks ago, the vet gave me an ear wash. Something with Otic in the name. Kodi has the cleanest ears for a dog, but Shelby is like a dirt magnet. She's also the one with teary eyes.


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## Jan D (Mar 13, 2007)

I use DermaPet MalAcetic Otic cleanser. I bought it from my vet.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

I also use OtiRinse, recommended by my vet. I love the smell of it!

I didn't like the idea of just squirting in their ears directly, although that is suppposed to be fine to do.

I saturate 1/2 a cotton ball with the OtiRinse, then squeeze it out into the ear canal. Then I put the cotton ball in the ear, close the ear flap, and massage all around the base of the ear (where it connects to their head) for a few seconds. Then I take the cotton ball out, wipe the inner ear flap with it, and repeat on the other ear.

They don't mind too much, and they get a treat afterwards!


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

the vet gave me OtiRinse - Ear Cleansing/Drying Solution for dogs and cats.

This was a vet I had to go to for the pet store and he's not someone I would necessarily trust - especially since he told me to use a QTip, which I never did.

Is there something better than OtiRinse?

Louise


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Use the ear cleaner and the cotton balls. When I pluck the hairs from the ear canal especially the first time, lots of junk came with the hairs out of the ears. 

Is this a new Vet for you? If so, and you do not feel comfortable with the Vet, then find another one.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

When I first brought Dexter home, he was scratching his ears a lot and when we took Dexter to the Vet the first time, I had the Vet to check Dexter's ears and he found ear mites. Dexter was treated and no more problems.


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