If pet owners frequently observe their cats and dogs scratching their ears or shaking their heads in daily life, they should promptly clean the ear canals to prevent ear mites, ear infections, or ear hematomas.
1、 How often do dogs and cats clean their ears?
The frequency of cleaning the ears of dogs and cats should not be too frequent, otherwise it is easy to disrupt the acid-base balance on the ears due to excessive cleaning, causing the ears to lose their protective layer, which in turn makes them more susceptible to ear infections.
Generally, the frequency of ear cleaning for dogs is about once a week. Cats love to clean and rarely go out, so they can be kept loose and cleaned once every 1-2 weeks on average. Puppies and kittens have very soft, sensitive, and fragile ears, so if there is no odor or inflammation, there is no need to clean them specifically.
Notes:
Do not use alcohol, purified water, etc. to clean pets' ears, as this can cause serious damage to their ear canals and eardrums. When cleaning the ears of cats and dogs, use pet specific ear canal cleaning solution.
2. It is not allowed to directly clean the ears of dogs and cats with ear spoons or other tools, as the ear canal structure of pets is L-shaped. Using ear spoons and cotton swabs to clean their ears will only push dirt deeper and deeper.
3. The inner color of cats and dogs' ears is usually pink. If the color changes to red, black, brown, etc., it indicates that they have ear inflammation or canine and cat ear mites, and they need to be sent to a pet hospital for examination or consult an online pet doctor in a timely manner.
2、 How to clean the ears of dogs and cats?
In addition to knowing the frequency, we also need to understand the props and specific methods for cleaning the ears of dogs and cats. Generally, pet owners can purchase pet specific ear canal cleaning solution from pet stores or purchase pet ear canal care solution online.
Cleaning the ears of dogs and cats does not require a large amount of cleaning solution. Usually, just follow the instructions to drop about 3 drops of liquid into the ears, gently rub the cat or dog's ears to ensure that the solution is evenly distributed, then release the pet's head and let it shake out the earwax on its own. Finally, the pet owner can use medical cotton or pet wipes to wipe off the spilled earwax.
Due to the large amount of hair and poor ear ventilation, cats and dogs' ears can easily accumulate a large amount of earwax and earwax if left unclean for a long time, causing ear odor and bacterial and fungal infections and other ear diseases. Therefore, when pet owners find their pets' ears dirty and smelly, they must take it seriously! If you have any abnormal symptoms, you should consult an online pet doctor in a timely manner.
