Giving your pet ear medications
Cleaning the ears:
Cats rarely need their ears cleaning; however some dogs are prone to recurrent ear infections and need their ears cleaning regularly.
Hold the ear flap up to expose the external ear canal. Carefully place the nozzle of the bottle into the external ear canal and apply the ear cleaner by squeezing the bottle. Gently rub the base of the ear to encourage the cleaner to go down the ear. Be prepared for your pet to shake their head after the cleaner has been applied (it may be best to do this outside or in a room with wipeable surfaces)
Wipe out any accumulated wax with moist cotton wool. Do not use cotton buds down the ear.
Applying ear medication:
Please note that most ear medications contain topical steroids and should not be handled by pregnant women.
Hold the ear flap up to expose the external ear canal. Before applying treatment, wipe out any accumulated wax with moist cotton wool. Carefully place the nozzle of the bottle into the external ear canal and apply the prescribed amount of medication. Gently rub the base of the ear to encourage the medication to go down the ear. Do not wipe these out after application unless told to do so by your vet.
If your pet’s ear seems very painful before or after applying ear treatment, please contact us.
Drops being applied to a dog’s ear – the drops should be thoroughly massaged down the ear canal after being instilled
Pet Health Information
Find out more
To assist owners in understanding more about a general pet health conditions we have put together a range of information sheets to talk you through some of the more common health concerns seen and treated by our General Practice Vets.
