Ear Hygiene in Pets: Why Is It Important and How to Go about Maintaining It?

Ear Hygiene in Pets in the form of Ear Drops for Pets is a crucial aspect of the life of a pet, as it is in humans, after all Ear Drops for Pets helps in cleaning and cleanliness of their ears. We take great precaution in keeping ourselves clean, so we do not face any undue health issues.

The same level of care is required when it comes to your pets, which includes ear hygiene. Can you remember the last time you cleaned your pet’s ears? If not, you aren’t alone. Most pet parents, especially new ones, often ignore cleaning their pet’s ears because they think it isn’t needed or that it may irritate their pet.

This is far from the truth. Regular ear cleaning is crucial for a healthy and happy pet.

Let’s discuss ear hygiene in pets, it’s important, and how you can go about keeping your furry friend’s ears clean.

Ear Hygiene & Its Importance

When it comes to pets, ears are a key aspect of maintaining good pet hygiene and health. A pet cat or dog can harbor significant amounts of bacteria in their ears. Left unchecked, it can lead to infections and issues later on.

Dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes provide the perfect breeding ground in their ears for bacteria, parasites, yeasts, and other such microorganisms. Pet ears are one of the most vulnerable areas for infection on your pet’s body.

The typical ear canal of a cat or dog has an L-shape. This L-shape is nature’s way of protecting your pet’s eardrum from coming into contact with dirt, debris, bacteria, or other such irritants like yeast.

The ear canal traps these things in their path before they can reach inner organs like the eardrum. Over time, the ear canal can accumulate dangerous amounts of irritants, which makes it more difficult for the canal to protect the eardrum.

Without regular cleaning, your pet is prone to catching an ear infection. Similarly, wax is another contaminant that builds up in pets’ ear canals, just like in humans. Without regular cleaning, the wax starts to attract ear mites.

These are parasitic organisms that feed on earwax and make your pet’s ear their home. Ear mites can quickly lead to unpleasant and harmful ear infections for your pet.

Ultimately, comprehensive pet hygiene, including ear hygiene, ensures that your pet does not develop a nasty ear infection, or other such ear-related problems.

How to Clean Pet Ears

Cats and dogs are not big on having their ears cleaned. However, if you have them as kittens or pups, you can start early and make ear hygiene easier for yourself, by turning the task into a regular habit.

If your pets are not young, don’t worry. Given enough time, patience, pet treats, and good pet cleaning products, the task will become easier with every cleaning session.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Start when your pet is calm and rested. It helps if they are in a safe and comfortable environment, with little to no distractions around.
2. Gently start to pet their head and ears, so they do not get spooked by your touch.
3. Tilt your pet’s head on one side so you have clear access to their ear. Continue petting them to keep them calm.
4. Then, when you find the opportunity, drop some pet ear drops in their ear, according to the dose recommended on the packaging.

Continued…..

1. Hold your pet’s head in place for about 30 seconds, and gently massage at the base of the ear to help the drops cover your pet’s entire ear canal.
2. Then, use a cotton ball or gauze to gently wipe out and clean the ear canal. Do not go deeper than half an inch or wipe roughly. The gentler the better.
3. Give your pet a treat for their patience. This step is important to help make future cleaning easier, as it allows your pet to associate ear hygiene with a positive and rewarding experience.
4. Repeat the process for the other ear.

That’s it! It really is that simple. Your pet may shake their head to remove the foreign substance in their ears, but this is normal. Don’t get worried if some of it comes out of their ear.

The herbal oil combination of these ear drops will help soften any ear wax accumulated in your pet’s ears, deter ear mites from making it their home, and calm any ear irritation your pet may be experiencing.

Such pet ear drops are for external use only, so make sure your pet does not consume any. The drops also have a pleasant smell, which you and your pet will love.

Make It a Routine Habit

Regular ear cleaning is vital for pet hygiene. The interval between ear cleaning sessions depends on a number of factors like your pet’s type, age, breed, fur coat, and lifestyle. For instance, dogs who have floppy ears are more prone to bacteria and ear infections than those with shorter ears.

Similarly, if your pet spends a lot of time outdoors, they may need more frequent cleaning than a pet who spends most of their time indoors. We recommend inspecting your pet’s ears on a bi-weekly basis, and regularly cleaning them once a month.

When you do your two-week inspection, it helps to clean out any wax buildup you see in the outer ear. Use a cotton ball to roughly clean out the wax. Use the pet ear drops when you do the monthly ear hygiene routine as mentioned above.

Conclusion

If you see any discharge coming out of your pet’s ear, redness in the ear canal, swelling, or an unknown mass in your pet’s ear at any time, it is a sign of an ear infection. You may also smell an odor coming from their ear.

Your pet might also start to behave differently. They may scratch, rub, or paw at their ears excessively. If you notice any of these signs, set up an appointment with your vet immediately to eliminate an ear infection or related problem.

Keep your pet happy and healthy with regular ear cleaning, and make sure that their overall hygiene is on point.

If you want to learn more pet ear hygiene, pet care tips and tricks, or about the best pet care products in the UK, be sure to visit our website.