Your pet's ears are possibly going to have an infection at one time or another in their life. The most important thing to do first for your pet if you see them shaking their head or scratching at their ears is make the trip to visit your veterinarian. Ear infections are usually an allergic reaction to some stimulus (food, etc.). The ear canals of our pets are dark and moist, so think about what happens in dark, moist areas? Fungus! One of the most common findings in an ear swab microscopic examination at your veterinarian's clinic is yeast, which is called Malassezia pachydermatis. Your veterinarian will use a cotton tipped applicator to get a sample of the debris from the outer ear canal. This is dried, then stained in a 3-step process for viewing under a microscope. Helping to eliminate the wax and debris in our pet's ears is much, much easier than many people realize. The budding yeast is seen as a deep purple oval, bottle-shaped form that can remind you of snowmen. Preventing an infection of yeast and bacteria begins at home. Cleaning your pet's ears on a regular basis such as every 2-3 weeks can help to keep those bad boys at bay!
There are several brands and types of pet ear cleaner, such as Epi-Otic from Virbac. Pet ear cleaners will help to soften the wax and debris for removal, along with a drying agent so any fluid not cleaned out will dry on its own. You can find ear cleaner at the pet stores, online or or at an animal clinic. Every animal is different, but the first step in ear cleaning begins with your eyes. When your pet is relaxed you can gently look into the ear to see if there is any wax or debris that needs to be cleaned out. Have a supply of cotton balls next to you with the pet's ear cleaner. Squirt some of the ear cleaning solution on the cotton ball, getting it soaked. Hold onto the ear flap of your pet while you squeeze a small amount of the soaked cotton ball into the ear. Next place the cotton ball into the ear (not too far!) and then simply massage the back of the ear of your pet so that it is a relaxing moment, as this helps to soften the ear wax and debris, lifting it onto the cotton ball. Your pet's ear canal has both a vertical and horizontal canal. Pulling up on the ear flap with one hand as you massage the back of the ear helps the ear cleaner to reach the horizontal canal. As you take the cotton ball out of the ear, simply wipe some of the debris out of the ear with the cotton ball, wiping the length of the inside ear flap. This area also collects moisture and wax, so cleaning it also helps your pet.
Next start wiping the ear with dry cotton balls. Take the time to do another massage moment with a dry cotton ball. This helps to continue to pull the moisture and wax out of your pet's ear. When you're done with your pet's first ear, let them shake their head. You can then take another dry cotton ball to wipe any cleaner and was that was shaken loose by your pet. See? They are helping you, too! It is NOT recommended to use Q-tips on your pet's ears. The opportunity to damage their ear drum is much more of an issue when using them. If the pet has lots of hills and valleys in the outer canal, have another person hold the pet calmly while you simply wipe the Q-tip into those folds to eliminate debris that the cotton ball didn't clean out. That is your pet's ear cleaning 101 tutorial!
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