How often do you clean your cats' ears?

[ondine]

We have to take Josie to the vet's every four to six months, where she is anesthetized so they can clean her ears.  She had untreated earmites as a kitten (before we found her).  She's developed an autoimmune response.  Her ears build up gunk and wax to the point where she can't hear.  Poor dear - she'll develop an infection unless we have them cleaned.  The only other treatment is steroids and I don't want to go there.

Brown stuff sounds like it might be earmites, so I would take her to the vet's to have that checked.  My vet said never to use hydrogin peroxide on her ears.

 

[cat lover12]

okay, why no peroxide? it was recomended from a friend and I tried once a long time ago and I've been wondering about it ever since

 

[otto]

okay, why no peroxide? it was recomended from a friend and I tried once a long time ago and I've been wondering about it ever since

Cats have extremely sensitive ears. Peroxide could cause your cat a lot of pain, and may make any problem worse. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down tissue.

Ear problems can be tricky to treat. It is best for your cat's health to be properly diagnosed, and have treatment prescribed, by a veterinarian.

Please do take your cat to the vet. Putting it off may make it more difficult, and more expensive, to treat and cure. Not to mention, she may already be feeling discomfort

 

[rafm]

  

 

[alicatjoy]

This is an older thread, but I hadn't come across it. So, I think I'll post anyway as I appear to be the exception considering I do clean my cats' ears regularly.

For Cassidy (DLH) and Emory (DSH), I clean their ears once monthly. I do it at the same time I do their nail trims. Their ears stay relatively clean and they both have little was build-up, but I do a quick cleaning regardless just to maintain their good condition. It's also a good way for me to ensure that they're not developing issues with their ears. For Delaney (DSH), I clean her ears bi-weekly. She tends to get ear infections and I do this to make sure that there is no swelling or debris in her ears. She also has itchy ears and I have found that she enjoys the ear cleaning as it is soothing. For Finnegan (DLH), I clean his ears once or twice a week. He has always had a lot of wax build-up and if I do not clean it, he develops an ear infection. He'll also scratch his ears raw if there is too much debris inside of them. For both Finn and Delaney, I use Glen Haven's F1/O (Oticetic Flush) cleaner. And, along with that, I do clean their ears with ear swabs in order to catch any debris. If they have an infection, I go to the F2/O (Medicated Oticetic Flush) instead. For Cassie and Em, I usually use the C1/0 (Ceruclean). And, I don't use an ear swab -- I simply massage the cleaner into their ears and they shake if needed to remove wax build-up. And, lastly, for my new little guy, Guinness, I haven't started him on an ear cleaning regimen. So far, his ears look good. And, if that remains the case, I will keep him on the same schedule as Cassidy and Delaney. But, I am big on ear cleaning and it has helped my cats tremendously when it comes to ear infections, allergies, and itching. If he needs something more, I will increase his cleaning. But, for now, we're not going there.

I will say that it's important to know how to properly clean your cats' ears. Too much moisture can cause irritation and infection. And, using an ear swab when inexperienced can be potentially dangerous. I would recommend talking to your vet the next time you go in to find out what they suggest as far as products go. And, I know most vets or techs would be more than happy to teach you the proper ear cleaning techniques. Not all cats require regular ear cleaning, but I've found that mine have benefited greatly. And, to that end, I also clean my dogs' ears with the same products and it has helped them as well. You have to find out what is best for your pets and go from there -- each cat or dog is an individual with specific needs. But, opening a dialogue with your veterinarian is the best thing that you can do. Ear cleaning is an important topic and I'm glad to see a thread about it. I just wish I'd come across it sooner.

 

[nekochan]

I usually just clean them if they look dirty, but I check them pretty often and maybe once every month or two I will go around and clean all their ears. Only one of my cats has had a problem with gunky ears-- I kept cleaning them and they'd get dirty again. She was negative for ear mites/infection. I finally got Vetericyn ear wash from my vet and after using that for a while, she no longer gets that build up even though I haven't been using it for a while now.

 

[farleyv]

I have never cleaned them other than Barney when he came to me with nasty mites.  Now they are gone, and I haven't touched them since.

 

[Draco]

I used to clean Monet's when he was a kitten since they were really dirty from the shelter.. but I haven't cleaned them in 2 years.. maybe once or twice in that span. I used plain water on cotton ball.

Cassie's I never cleaned. I guess Monet takes care of Cassie's ears for me

 

[northernglow]

Interesting. I don't have to clean any of my kitties' ears, they don't get dirty at all.

 

[parsleysage]

I don't clean my cats' ears either.  I do check them obsessively, though, we had mites for what seemed like forever when they were young so I'm paranoid about it and am constantly looking for the telltale brown gunk.  Luckily, it's just been perfectly pink, clean ears here!

 

[joyfulcatlover]

Cats ear mites how amny times ears i dont really know?anybody know ?

 

[GoldyCat]

Cats ear mites how amny times ears i dont really know?anybody know ?

If your cat has ear mites you need to get drops from your vet. The vet will give you instructions on how often to use them.

Note: this is an old thread about cleaning cats' ears in general. You'd probably get better information on ear mites if you start a new thread in the Health forum.