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Cleaning ears?

post #1 of 7
1/2/11 at 5:45pm
Thread Starter 
When Dusty had an ear infection last summer, the vet gave me an ear wash to use every other day as part of her treatment. I don't think her infection has returned, but she appears to have visible ear wax. Should I use this wash? The directions are to "flush each ear once a day every 3 days for 14 days." Can someone decipher?
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post #2 of 7
1/2/11 at 9:50pm
Can you just wipe out the ear? I flip the ears inside out and use an unscented babywipe to clean my cats ears.
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post #3 of 7
1/3/11 at 4:25am
I don't know if medicine for an ear infection, can be used to clean wax. It probably could, but check with your vet first if your not sure.
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post #4 of 7
1/3/11 at 7:04am
Thread Starter 
She is beginning to scratch her ears more, and when I look inside I can see the wax. I am terrified that she will get another bad infection. The last time it almost killed her. But if I don't see an improvement soon I will take her in.
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post #5 of 7
1/3/11 at 2:27pm
My Griffin gets very waxy, grimy ears. He's never had an ear infection or mites - he's just a greasy guy. I just wipe out his ears with a cotton ball that's been dampened with a standard pet ear cleaner. If your kitty is scratching at her ears though, I would suspect it might be something more than just wax. Infections as well as ear mites can cause discomfort or itching, as well as icky build-up inside the ear. A vet visit might be in order.
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post #6 of 7
1/3/11 at 6:17pm
I used to wipe out Cotton's ears with an ear wipe and that worked really wll...he'd climb on my chest and give me his head if he wanted it done. when I was out of wipes, though, a cotton ball or light washcloth with pet solution worked well

I also have a non-veterinary ear wash ($4 for a bottle) that we got at petsmart for Sybil to clean out her crushed ear, since she can' get to it. I'd hesitate to use a medicinal one after treatment was done unless the vet specifically said it was okay.
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post #7 of 7
1/5/11 at 11:01am
I'm probably late to the party, heh. But better late than never?

As a groomer, I recommend people clean their dog or cat's ears about every eight weeks at the very least. It can vary based on the pet too, though. I see it as basic, regular maintenance...I usually do a little monthly "torture session" for my cats, wherein I trim their nails, clean their ears, and check their teeth. My Munchkin kitty, Ember, has had chronic and systemic infections involving her skin and ears her whole life...so from now on she gets weekly ear cleanings at the very least (I just went from daily cleanings to apply medication to weekly, since she's still new to me and JUST got over her lifelong infections! ). Likewise, my big kitten Merlot could probably go two months before needing a cleaning, since his ears are pristine and beautiful.

If your kitty has had infections in the past, I'd say monthly cleanings would benefit her. Be sure to use either the stuff your vet gave you or a basic over-the-counter ear cleaner. I like cleaners that are very drying, that way they don't leave moisture in the ear after cleaning. Like others said, using cotton balls works well.

Best of luck!
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