What to use when cleaning ears?

[Pomp]

Two beagles, long floppy ears...I routinely clean them with Q-tips, but shoudl I also be using some type of solution? Any advice?

[Zoom]

There are drying solutions you can pick up either from your vet or the pet store. They help to loosen gunk, then dry.

[animalcrackers]

I use Epi-Optic ear cleaner. I don't use Q-tips though, just cotton balls.

[Pomp]

Thanks for the advice.

I just found this online:

Only Natural Pet Ear Care with Tea Tree Oil

Ingredients: Witch Hazel, Deionized Water, Glycerine, Boric Acid, Tea Tree Oil, Polysorbate 80, Echinacea Extract, and Natural Coloring.

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Ear-Care-with-Tea-Tree-Oil/999101.aspx

And this one...

Ingredients

In a base of Witch Hazel, Natural Herbal Ear Wash contains the following full strength herbal oils and extracts: Chamomile Extract, Sage Oil, Clove Oil, Hore Hound Extract, Southern Wood Extract, Marigold (Calendula) Extract, Penny Royal Oil, St. Johns Wort Oil.

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Halo-Herbal-Ear-Wash/115016.aspx



Which one looks better?

[Debi]

don't use Q-tips. they aren't good for people or dogs. the cotton tip is abrasive, which can cause tiny scratches that can then pick up bacteria. I use a soft pad of gauze, and am gentle with the cleansing. witch hazel is nice because it doesn't dry the ear like alcohol would, so either choice seems fine. just also be careful not to get the ear too wet. just dampen the cloth to cleanse.

[Miakoda]

If the ears aren't really gunky or infected, I'm a fan of just wiping them out with a dry cotton ball to remove the dirt & wax.

Each time you use an ear cleaner to clean the ears, you alter the pH of the ear. And if you do it too much, you can actually do more harm than good by actually creating an environment suitable for some sort of infection.

However, if the ears are particularly dirty, use a mixture of 50% Wintergreen Alcohol & 50% Vinegar (plain). You can buy each in the same size small bottles. I just empty half of one into a cup of some sort (even a measuring cup) then pour half of the other into the bottle with the remaining half of the other. Do the same for each. Shake well. Take a cotton ball & soak it in with the mixture. Put the cottong ball right inside the ear, lower the ear flap, & massage for a few seconds to get the mixture down into the ear canal. Then wipe out. You can repeat this step if you need to, otherwise grab some dry cotton balls & start wiping.

If the dog has any cuts or scratches from scratching at his ears a lot, do not use an alcohol based cleanser as it burns. I would suggest buying the Nolvasan ear cleaner in that case.

Although I advise people not to use q-tips, a dog's ear canal has an L-shape rather than being straight so the chance of doing damage to the ear drum is nill. However, if a dog shakes his head suddenly, it's still going to hurt having a q-tip jammed into his ear. ;)

[iloveoscar]

or you can use a cotton ball with a bit of mineral oil

[GlassOnion]

Epi-otic does well. It has a low pH (2.2) that won't harm the dog in the short or long run. It temporarily lowers the pH to help kill off some of the organisms that may be in there.

It's not a miracle cure or anything like that but it helps, which I think is what you're aiming for?