Wednesday, August 11, 2010

How to clean your cat ears

Keeping your cat's ears clean and free of parasites is an important part of owning a cat. This is especially important for cats that are allowed outside, as their ears may be infested with ticks, fleas, grass seeds and general dirt. If you notice your cat shaking its head or scratching the ear, holding her head to one side or maybe meowing insistently, it is time to examine and clean ears.
You should have your cat on your lap and rest, if possible. Start with a gentle flick speaking softly. Move your hands to caress your head and then looked at each ear, checking for dirt, parasites or any discharge. Discharge of any kind can be a sign of an infection.
If the ears look dirty, dip some cotton in some oil or olive oil and gently swab the visible fields in each ear. As fast as you can and can not fuss about it. Just try to be casual, as if this is normal. If your cat gets upset, stop and try again. So the cat gets used to it may be easier to work with only one ear at a time.
Do not try to push more cotton in the ear canal. You run the risk of frightening your cat and damaging delicate ears. Remember, your hands are not too far from the claws and teeth, if you frighten your cat.
Even if your cat is kept inside the house clean, you still need to check their ears and clean them regularly. The inner ear is one of the cat body parts have trouble cleaning it.
Please do not ever use q-tips or cotton swabs to clean your cat's ears. There is too much risk of damaging the eardrum. This is the same as in infants and small children, never put something small in their ears. The risk is too high.
It is perfectly normal for your cat to have some clear wax in the ear. However, if you notice a dark brown waxy type of material, your cat may have ear mites. Ear mites cause intense scratching his ear. This is something your vet should be deemed to have excessive scratching cat can cause damage that you may be infected then. Blood blisters or hematoma, will also be on the ear flap with a lot of shaking and rubbing of the ear. It should also be considered by your veterinarian to prevent possible contamination or "cauliflower ear.
If you notice small scratches on the flap of the ear, clean and use an antiseptic such as Betadine to prevent possible contamination.
Parasites or discharge from the ear should be seen by a veterinarian. It is equipped to deal with these types of problems with minimum disruption to your cat. If your ears feel very hot to the touch, your cat can be operated at room temperature. However, make sure the cat is not lying in the sun or near fire before you contact your veterinarian.
If it is necessary to give your cat ear drops the easiest way to do this is to keep the ear flap firm which will open the ear canal. Then you can put the drops in the ear. Gently massage the ear after the drops are going to make sure they are evenly distributed. This massage will help settle your cat.
If your cat does not tolerate any attempt to clean the ears, do not try to make it happen. It will only destroy the trust in your cat with you. In these cases, the licensed professional - either your vet or a professional groomer. Do not want to risk breaking the bond you have with your cat.
If you have more than one cat and have a good relationship, you can find care in other ear. It may even be a good reason to have more than one cat.

No comments:

Post a Comment