Vet explains how to clean cat ears at home
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Are you wondering how to clean cat ears at home? Dr Katie Avelar explains why some cats need to have their ears cleaned from time to time and how you can do this safely. It's important to remember, that not all cats need to have their ears cleaned. Find out why, when, and how to clean cat ears at home.
FULL ARTICLE: www.catster.com/guides/how-to...
NOTE: as with any new experience for cats, it's always best to try and get your cat used to things from a young age. Things like going to the vet, having their ears cleaned, trimming claws, wearing a leash, etc. can be very scary for cats and difficult to attempt for owners. The younger your cat learns to get used to something, the better for them and the easier it'll be for you.
This isn't always possible, however, like when you adopt an adult or senior cat that isn't used to things like that. It's best to contact your vet and ask for guidance. You'll need to be patient and navigate new experiences together!
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🐈🐈🐈Video Chapters🐈🐈🐈
0:00 Intro
0:14 Importance of Cat Ear Care
0:39 How and When Do I Clean My Cats Ears
1:10 Signs of Cat Ear Problems
2:18 What To Clean Cat Ears With
2:31 Step-by-Step Cat Ear Cleaning
3:02 #1 Takeaway From This Video
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Thanks for watching, Catsters! Remember, as with any new experience for cats, it's always best to try and get your cat used to things from a young age. Things like going to the vet, having their ears cleaned, trimming claws, wearing a leash, etc. can be very scary for cats and difficult to attempt for owners. The younger your cat learns to get used to something, the better for them and the easier it'll be for you.
This isn't always possible, however, like when you adopt an adult or senior cat that isn't used to things like that. It's best to contact your vet and ask for guidance. You'll need to be patient and navigate new experiences together! Check out Catster.com for more vet-approved cat care resources that will help you understand your cat even better. 😻
Hello, please, This is extremely time sensitive. i have until tomorrow morning to decide whether or not to continue. My cat has been shaking his head for awhile now and had what I believe to be a tiny bit of a drippy of a nose. I got an air filter and vaccuum everything regularly. The first vet I took him to helped me with somethings but literally said "Those are not medical symptoms". One day I was petting him and he was rolling around purring and i gently touched his ear and he swiped at me his demeanor changing completely. He is always very gentle so I could only assume that his ears had finally become infected. It was a Friday (of course) and i decided to take him to the vet. He is either very nice or "fearful". I was working on getting him used to the cotton ball but this was just days after I saw this. Anyway, the vet I brought him to used CLARVO in his ears. Now, (day 5 after this) my formerly constantly hungry cat has basically stopped eating ALL the different cat foods I used to feed him and ONLY eats the organ meats I cook for he and I. I think that eventually he will stop eating those. I just called the CLARo company and they told me to have his ears cleaned of any remaining Claro. I am set to go tomorrow but you said cat's ear drums are very delicate. You said first, do no harm, but harm has been done. Please, tell me if you think I should have what is remaining flushed out of his head. If you google CLARVO side effects and cats you will see others with exact same symptoms. He sometimes just sits in daze that I can only imagine is pain or sickness induced and obviously sleeps a lot. Thank you!
@@Gcatt1 Here is some info from our vet, Dr. Karyn Kanowski - Veterinarian Editor, BVSc MRCVS:
"This is a tricky situation. Firstly Claro is not licensed for use in cats, and certainly should not have been used as a first option in any case. It has been linked to ear drum rupture, but it can be a very good option for DOGS. I would agree that any residual Claro needs to come out. The tricky part is that I can't tell your vet what to do next, but my plan would be to gently flush the ear with sterile saline and start your kitty on oral steroids to bring down swelling and inflammation. If you aren't happy with the treatment you have received, it is your right to ask for a second opinion. I hope this helps, as it sounds like your poor cat is not having a good time of it! :("
@@CatsterOfficial First, of all thank you all so much for getting back to me! I got so used to seeing bowls with food in them laying around for the past 5 days that I was just so exhuasted and left some down thinking he and I would collapse into bed. Apparently, he got up sometime between 12pm and 6am and finished that bowl (it had my food, the organ meat in it).
So, the gentle flushing of the CLARVO could cause the swelling and irritation (thus necessitating the steroids) or are the steroids for the initial treatment with the CLARVo (as I saw one cat owner's vet had prescribed systemics and they believe it helped)?
@@Gcatt1 The steroids can often bring down much of the pain, swelling, and irritation caused by otitis (ear infection) and are often used in the initial treatment if the ear is very painful and inflamed, before using topical treatment. And in this situation, the less we put in the ear the better.
@@CatsterOfficial Thank you very much!
Why talking in slow motion ?
We aim to relay information in a slow and steady manner, to cater to all listening preferences. Have you considered updating the video playback speed to suit your needs?
I prefer this method of delivery over speaking too rapidly!
@@manxi6779 We agree!
Who cares she's adorable 🥰
@mariocooldude9092 we know, right?!
Thank you Dr. Avelar!!
My 2 sons will have clean ears thanks to this information :)
Happy to help
Thank you
Thank you for this. Ive been seeing examples using q-tips or like, ear squirter like tools and the idea of using that on my cat is uncomfortable, i don't want to hurt her and id rather avoid any unnecessary discomfort but she is ear infection sensitive so I want to include effective cleaning to her regular care to avoid anything worse having the chance to develop
Is ear mite gunk likely to be in the canal itself? If yes, should the cotton ball be wet so much that the cleaner coats the canal, too? And will the loosened gunk come out of the canal through shaking? I have been cleaning the outer part such that it is almost completely clean, but I don't know about the canal itself.
Ear mite "gunk" is indeed within the ear canal. It is not advised to excessively douse a cotton ball with ear drops; the recommendations/instructions on the product, or the steps prescribed by your veterinarian should suffice.
Your cat's ear canals are "L" shaped, and while you can gently clean out their external ears, you shouldn't actively poke, prod, and try to clean out the deeper parts of the canal. A cat's ear canals are self-cleaning, and they should eventually push the gunk out themselves (once medicine is applied). If you think your cat's ear canal is too dirty, if it has a visible discharge, or a foul odor, please consult your vet for a thorough checkup of your cat's ear.
Good luck!
@@CatsterOfficial Thank you greatly.
Dr, can you use the flat cotton balls? Not sure what there called.
Yes! You certainly can use cotton pads, but they don't always get into all the nooks and crannies quite as well as regular cotton balls.
@@CatsterOfficial thank you for responding I really appreciate it!
I'll tell you why, because my 1 year old former feral LOVES his big brother and can't stop himself from licking his ear. ugh.
My 3-year-old cat has had two ear infections since I adopted her 9 months ago. Both times, when the vet said the infection was gone they also said but there is some brown "gunk" deep in the infected ear canal. The first time, the vet said continue with the ear wash they gave me about three or four more times every other day. I did that. She developed an infection in that ear again a few months later. Just went to the vet after treating with antibiotics and ear wash for four weeks: infection is gone but, again, "she does have this brown gunk in that ear." This time, the vet recommended using the ear wash once per week going forward to help get the gunk out. Do you think this is enough? I can't get down into the bottom of her ear canal to clean the gunk out at home because, as you say, I can only use a cotton ball. Do you think it would be too much to schedule weekly appointments with the vet for them to deep clean the ear until the gunk is gone, then go to a once-a-week maintenance ear wash after that?
Hi there, sorry to hear about this problem you and your cat are facing! Here is some advice from one of our vets, Dr. Karyn Kanowski:
"At this stage I recommend giving the cat an anesthetic so that the ear canal can be properly explored and flushed. The fact that this 'gunk' is still there after all the ear drops and cleaning suggests that whatever it is needs to be removed manually. If they haven't already done so, they should also take a sample to send for culture & sensitivity."
Weekly ear cleanings won't solve the issue at hand, it'll only contain the problem. Having a vet inspect your cat's ears under anesthesia would offer the best chance of finding the root cause of the problem. Sending a sample of the "gunk" in for lab work is also a good idea. Ask your vet about these options. Best of luck!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful reply.I will pursue this line of treatment with my vet.@@CatsterOfficial
I’m not gonna lie I had this playing whilst I was cleaning my cats ear. He literally was super calm which he never is!!!
We're so glad your cat found Dr. Katie's voice to be calming. We do too!
For real. Way too slow for such a short video
Did you know that you can speed up TH-cam videos to suit your listening preferences? Gear icon > Playback speed.
It sounds like she purrs when she talks
Thank you for this video. It makes far more sense than a video I saw suggesting literally "fill the ear canal with the cleaning solution"! He squirted it right into the ear. I'm not doing that.
My question is do you recommend monthly cleaning in general? What about if there is bits of brown in the lower ear folds? Is it recommended to clean that gently? Thanks, again.
You're so welcome! Remember to subscribe. 🐈
Here is some info from one of our vets, Dr Whittemore:
"Your own veterinarian will be able to advise you if there are specific intervals or ways that you should clean your own cat's ears. However in general monthly cleaning should be sufficient. You can gently use a cotton pad and cleaner to remove any wax from the folds near the ear base where it tends to get trapped. If there is any pain, inflammation, itchiness or smell we recommend you visit the veterinary clinic."
My vet said to clean with solution once a week, my cat produced a lot of ear wax. So it keeps it clean.
I take my cat to the vet, I know my cat has black debris and stuff. I want the ears cleaned out. I don’t want given a ointment to stick in the air every day. Please tell me why the vet that goes to school cannot clean the cats ears.
You'll need to specifically ask your vet to clean you cat's ears but a cat groomer might be a better option.
My Cats ears are so bad. Lumps of skin blocking her entire passage. I got an ointment and cleaner from the vet. For 3 weeks I have to apply this 2 times a day and the cleaner every other day. They did a piss poor way to explain how to apply it if she is very scared and seems painful to her. As soon as I get close she becomes a rocket. People don’t give us alternative ways to apply this medicine like perhaps if I wear the correct surgical gloves, I could put it on the tip of my finger and massage it in but no one says that no one says how the medicine actually works if it’ll be OK if they lick it from time to time, etc… hers ear got so bad she cannot hear anymore I’m a matter of a few months. I wish there were much more detailed videos explaining every possible way to apply, what will and won’t be ok. If the method changes does the recommended time (3 weeks in my case) for the steroid change? So many questions I feel we have to get our own degree in to know.
@EternalGaze8 According to one of our vets, Dr. Lauren Demos, it sounds a bit like ceruminous gland hyperplasia. She's never seen it in the UK but says she frequently saw it in the US, assuming that is where you are based? You can send us some images and more info (where you're based, cat info etc.) here: www.catster.com/contact-us
Vocal fryyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
So whaaaaaaat?💟
I said a nasty comment just wanna say sorry
What if the black stuff is like deep in the ear? 😢
Hey! If it's deep in the ear, it could be due to infection, so this is one of the times you should get them checked over by a vet, because they might need antibiotics.
Never try to dislodge any wax from deeper in the ear without the go ahead from your vet as you could push the wax further into the canal and cause serious problems with the ear.
Hope this helps! - Dr. Karyn Kanowski
Any home remedies to clean a cats ears
Here is a resource on home remedies to clean cat ear mites: excitedcats.com/natural-home-remedies-to-treat-cat-ear-mites/
How often do I need to clean the cats ears
Only when it's dirty. If your cat's ears are dirty often, it's best to take them to a vet.
Vocal Fry-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y much?
Are you here to learn about cats or just to ridicule others? There are plenty of other videos to watch if this one isn't for you.
We dont need a Vet to clean them...just do our research.
Yes, this video intends to shows how cat owners can clean their cats' ears at home so that they don't need to take them to the vet.
Her voice .
Are you here for the voice or the cat ear cleaning tips? 🤔
You…done…pissed…me…off..thank..you…thooooo ✅👍
You're more than welcome to refrain from watching our videos if it's causing emotional discomfort.🙂
She's being overly cautious; there is no reason why you can't squirt cleaner directly into the ear canal and massage it in at the base of the ear for 20 to 45 seconds to "work in" the cleaner.
Caution is always the best road to take when it comes to ears, for a number of reasons.
- If you squirt anything too abruptly into your cat's ears, there is a pretty slim chance that they'll let you try a second time.
-If your cat has an ear infection, even a proper ear cleaner can feel really painful, so it's better to proceed with caution.
- The most important consideration is if your cat has damage to their ear drum; squirting a cleaner into an ear canal with a ruptured ear drum can cause permanent damage and hearing loss.
This video put me to sleep
We hope you had a good nap!
This is hard to watch. Speak like a normal person please
How does a "normal" person speak?
Is she a Kardashian? Talking really slow
You are more than welcome to speed up the video to suit your personal preference. Gear icon or 'Settings' > Playback speed. :)