Note: You never want to put a dry q-tip in any animal’s ear, as if there
is a sticky wax in the ear canal, it may pull the cotton off of the q-tip, and
it’s no fun having to dig it out with tweezers!
There are many good ear cleaning products on the market, and your vet may
have one s/he recommends. For ears with heavy discharge, it is best to
use a cleaner you can drop directly into the ear (read the instructions for use
on any prescribed or OTC product).
Generally 2-4 Drops go in the ear canal, making sure you put the applicator
deep enough into the ear opening to get down inside the canal. Holding the cat’s
head, massage the upper cheek just below the ear opening - you should hear a
squishy sound. If you don't hear the squishing, you haven't reached the lower
part of the ear canal with the product; try again.
The massage will loosen up the wax and dirt deep in the ear. After a few
seconds of massage, release the cats head and it should shake the debris out of
the lower ear canal. Simply wipe the outer ear with a soft cloth or cotton pad,
then you can use a q-tip to get inside the ear. If using this method to apply a
topical antibiotic, don't worry that the cat shakes much of the product out -
there is enough left coating the inside of the ear canal to do the job, you
don't need to reapply.
If after 4-5 days of this deep cleaning you still see discharge, or if any
discharge ever has an odor, have your vet do a smear to check for infection.
He/she may prescribe an antibiotic ointment which would be applied using the
same technique as described above.
For ears with light discharge, simply dipping a q-tip into a feline
approved ear cleaning solution or straight Witch Hazel and swabbing the ears
weekly or bi-monthly should suffice.
Ears that are left with heavy wax buildup are prone to yeast infections which
can be very uncomfortable for the cat. It’s much easier to keep the ears clean
than to treat an infected ear once it has become inflamed and painful! Special
antibiotic ointment from the vet is required to treat an infected ear. If
introduced to simple ear cleaning as a kitten, most kitties learn to tolerate
the experience, but wrapping the cat in a heavy towel or blanket is a good way
to keep damage to yourself to a minimum with a recalcitrant patient, or you
might have a second human on hand who can get a good scruff on the cat while you
perform the cleaning.
Moosecoons Maine Coon Cats & Kittens
in Maryland