Ear Cleaning and Medication Instructions
HOW TO FLUSH THE EARS
Grasp the tip of the ear and pull it straight up and slightly away from the head (towards you). Fill the ear canal with the flush until the liquid just starts to spill out of the ear canal. Some of the ear cleaner can also be rubbed on the ear flap if necessary.
Grasp the ear cartilage at the base of the ear and gently squeeze or massage the ear canal for 1 – 2 minutes. You should hear the cleanser “squish” in the ear. Then let your pet shake the solution from the ear. Remove any loose debris from the ear flap and entrance to the ear canal with a dry cotton ball.
*Never push cotton swabs down into the ear canal! This will force debris further into the ear and may cause damage to the eardrum. Use the cotton only to clean debris from those areas of the ear that you can clearly see. Repeat the procedure, per Doctor’s instructions. Your ear medication (see below) should be placed in the ear 1 – 2 hours AFTER the cleaning procedure.
MEDICATION APPLICATION – IN CLINIC
Some medications* we can administer in the clinic and continue to work for 2 to 3 weeks. This gel-like medication will stay in the ear while it treats the infection. To prevent washing it out, please refrain from bathing your dog or doing water activities. If you must bathe, please ensure no water gets into the ears.
*Oti-pack aids in the treatment of acute and chronic otitis in dogs and cats. Claro® is used specifically for the treatment of otitis externa in dogs associated with susceptible strains of yeast (Malassezia pachydermatis) and bacteria (Staphylococcus pseudintermedius)
MEDICATION APPLICATION – AT HOME
After placing the medication in the ear, massage the ear canals as outlined in the above for the cleaning procedure. If you have enough medication in the ear, you will hear a “squishing” noise as you massage.
TRANSDERMAL MEDICATION
Place ½ of the prescribed amount to the inner flap part of the ear. Spread the medication over the flap with your finger. Use Gloves!
The entire affected area should be covered with a thin layer of medication. If medication or debris accumulate on ear flap or opening to ear canal it can be washed away with ear cleaner whenever necessary.
CrittEar. (2020, October 20). Three surprising ways that dogs can lose their hearing. CrittEar. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.crittear.com/dog-hearing/three-surprising-ways-that-dogs-can-lose-their-hearing/#:~:text=Disobedience%20when%20not%20normal.,when%20normally%20not%20a%20barker.Three Surprising Ways That Pets Can Lose Their Hearing
by CrittEar – link to full article below
Otitis – Ear Infections
Ear infections, particularly the inner ear (otitis interna) can produce transient or permanent deafness. While the middle ear, otitis media, can experience sound blocking due to an infection, your pet’s body should eventually clear this out with hearing improvement. However, inner ear infection needs to be treated swiftly and effectively, because when left unattended it is likely to produce permanent deafness.
General Anesthesia
While rare, dogs and cats can lose their hearing due to general anesthesia. It’s been reported that animals have woken deaf in both ears following ear cleaning or teeth cleaning. It’s believed that their bodies move blood away from the cochlea during anesthesia to protect other critical organs. Another thought is that the pressure, or jaw position, may compress the arterial supply to the cochlea. Talk with your veterinarian to understand if they’ve had this type of experience with any of the animals in their care.
Ototoxicity
This is a scientific way of saying a pharmacological adverse reaction that affects the inner ear or auditory nerve. Basically, pets can lose their hearing due to medicine and the resulting cochlear or vestibular dysfunction. Before giving your pet any medication, discuss the side-effects with your vet. The most common medicines that can cause canine hearing loss includes:
- Garamycin: an antibiotic used to treat several types of bacterial infections. This drug is used in pets to treat septicemia and infections of bone, joints, respiratory tract, skin, soft tissue, urinary tract, and uterus. It is often given as a topical application for ear infections. As a rule any medication(s) or ear cleanser/flush have a risk of hearing loss/deafness.
- Cisplatin: a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of cancers (testicular, ovarian, cervical, breast, bladder, head and neck, esophageal, lung, mesothelioma, brain tumors, and neuroblastoma. This drug is given by injection into your dog’s veins.
- Diuretics: often given to your dog for the treatment of high blood pressure and edema.
Noise Trauma
Recalling how sensitive a pet’s hearing is, it depends on the loudness delivered either suddenly or over a period of time, they may experience temporary or permanent hearing loss. Dogs and cats have a tiny muscle in the middle ear that reflexes to reduce sound transmission, but percussive noises happen too suddenly for this muscle to react. Gunfire, explosions, fireworks, car backfires, slamming doors, lawn equipment, etc., are major contributors to noise trauma. A simple way to think of it: if a human’s ears ring, the noise is causing trauma to the dog’s or cat’s hearing.
How To Tell If Your Pet May Be Losing Their Hearing?
Pets tend to hide their hearing loss. Here are some simple ways that you can tell if your dog/cat is losing or has lost their hearing.
- Not coming to you when you call them.
- Unusual disobedience.
- Responding in a startled manner even when not a surprise.
- Increased barking when normally not a barker.
- Apathy or lack of interest.