Anatomical features
The fact is that the ear of a furry pet consists of numerous small convolutions, and therefore, penetrating inside, water cannot get out and, as a result, stagnates in the ear canal, provoking the development of inflammatory processes.
When water gets into the middle ear area, the risk of developing otitis, an otolaryngological disease that is difficult to treat and extremely difficult for cats to tolerate, increases significantly. And if competent measures are not taken in a timely manner, otitis media can cause suppuration and even blood poisoning.
The cat's brain is located in close proximity to the ear canal, therefore, with ear diseases, this vital organ may be damaged.
What does this threaten?
Many people think that if this happens, the animal is in mortal danger. How true is this?
Cats' ears are quite vulnerable. They are designed in such a way that when moisture gets inside, it simply cannot flow back out. Therefore, if liquid gets in, the most unpleasant consequences cannot be ruled out. If water reaches the middle ear, inflammation often begins, in particular otitis media. In this case, there is a risk of hearing loss, both partial and complete. If left untreated, the inflammation can spread and can even lead to death. However, this only happens in very advanced cases.
How to understand that a cat needs help
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to understand that water has gotten into the cat’s ears, especially since the animal cannot complain about the discomfort. Therefore, after bathing a cat and performing water procedures, veterinary specialists strongly recommend that owners pay attention to alarming symptoms:
- restless and anxious behavior;
- constant licking and attempts to scratch the ears with paws;
- constant meowing;
- frequent shaking of the head;
- permanent lack of appetite;
- lethargy and apathy;
- pinching ears;
- the appearance of specific discharge, possibly with purulent impurities;
- pain when touching the auditory organs (the cat begins to struggle, hiss, meow pitifully, or simply hide).
If such signs appear, it is necessary to urgently provide first aid to your pet, without waiting for the development of complications and the addition of dangerous concomitant diseases.
What complications can there be?
The feline brain is very close to the ear canals.
If you do not remove water from your pet’s ears in time, all this can lead to the animal:
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- to severe excruciating pain,
- suppuration of the ears;
- hearing impairment;
- to deafness.
First aid measures
If a small amount of liquid gets into the ear canal, you can do without the participation of a veterinarian and provide first aid to the animal at home. To do this, it is recommended to use one of the proven methods:
- Using a hygienic cotton swab or swab, carefully clean the cat's ear. In this case, you should act as carefully as possible so as not to injure the animal or damage the eardrum.
- Place 2 drops of vegetable oil into each ear, then lightly shake the pet's head so that its auditory organs are at the bottom. The oil will help remove water from the ear canal.
- You can also dry your ears with a hairdryer, however, only if the cat does not react too violently to this household appliance.
At the end of the procedure, it is recommended to drop special drops into your pet’s ears, designed to prevent otitis media and inflammatory diseases.
If the above methods do not help, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible. Professional help is also necessary in situations where the cat is completely immersed in water.
How to get rid of water in the ear
How to remove water from the ear at home without harm to health? If the water in the ears cannot leave the ear on its own, you need to do several exercises that will contribute to a favorable outcome.
- First, wipe the auricle and the outer part of the ear canal with a dry cloth.
- Then you need to take a deep breath and exhale.
- After this, repeat the procedure, only with your mouth closed.
With the correct movements, you will hear a characteristic click in your ears and restore your hearing acuity.
If this method is unsuccessful, tilt your head to the side and make rotational movements with your palm on the outer shell. This will create pressure that will force fluid out of the ear canal.
However, the easiest way is considered to be the following method:
- Stand on one leg and tilt your head to the side.
- Do a few jumps.
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An important rule: if there is water in the right ear, jump on the right foot, if in the left, change the foot.
If for some reason you are unable to jump, lie on one side and place a towel under your head.
In this position, you need to imitate chewing and then yawn deeply. With such manipulations, water quickly leaves the ear.
If the described methods are ineffective, then try the next option. First, you need to tilt your head to the side so that the ear in which the water is present is on top.
First you need to warm up a few drops of boric alcohol.
If you don’t have this ingredient at home, replace the drug with medical alcohol.
Place an alcohol-containing substance in your ears and maintain the position for five minutes.
As the alcohol and moisture combine, the water will evaporate within a few minutes.
For an improved effect, after this procedure, insert turunda soaked in tea tree oil into your ear. If this ingredient is missing, replace the oil with olive oil.
If you feel pain while performing the procedures described, it is likely that wax plugs have formed in your ears. When it comes into contact with water, it swells and fills more than fifty percent of the ear canal.
In this case, it is recommended to rinse the ear or purchase Remo-Vax or A-cerumen. These drops will help dissolve sulfur deposits and remove water.
The problem of water getting into the ears is faced by people whose profession or hobby is in one way or another connected with immersion in water, and these can be both professional swimmers and fans of relaxing on the shores of reservoirs. Liquid that gets into the ear canal is a direct path to otitis media and other ENT diseases, so waiting for it to evaporate or disappear on its own is not only quite uncomfortable, but also very dangerous to health.
- hearing impairment resulting from the appearance of “water” interference during the transmission of sound waves to the eardrum;
- headache resulting from the development of the inflammatory process and irritation of the nerve endings of the cranial nerves.
One of the easiest ways to remove water from the ear, which does not require the use of additional tools and auxiliary devices, is to tilt your head to one side, insert your index finger into your ear and actively move it. Such movements will allow unnecessary fluid to leave the ear canal and ear space. The same should be repeated for the other ear.
If you cannot remove water from your ear using your index finger, stand on your right leg and tilt your head to the right side, perform 8 jumps in this position and repeat the procedure for the left side. In this case, gravity and active jumping allow water to be effectively pushed out of the ear. Most often, people jumping on one leg and trying to push water out of their ears in this way can be found near swimming pools and on the shores of reservoirs.
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Special suction cotton balls, which can be purchased at any pharmacy or specialty department, can also help you get rid of water in your ears. Despite the fact that such devices are used primarily for caring for infants, the simplicity and effectiveness of their use make the device
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Ear cleaning
Since you can't wash your cat's ears, you need to clean them from time to time to avoid wax buildup and plugs.
To do this, the owner will need a cotton swab and a special gel, which can be purchased at a pet store (if this is not available, the use of ordinary vegetable oil is allowed).
Carefully turn your pet's ear out so as to provide maximum access to the ear canal. Then, using a stick, smoothly moving outward, clear the ear of wax, fluid, and various types of discharge.
At the end of the procedure, carefully wipe the cat's ears with a clean and dry cloth. Such cleaning will be very useful not only for hygienic purposes, but also for the prevention of ear mites, otitis, and inflammation.
Should a kitten's ears be cleaned?
Why clean?
A cat's ears are a unique organ of hearing and balance. The sensitivity of a cat's ear is many times higher than that of a human. But the more important the organ, the more critical for the animal is the violation of its functions. Therefore, clean and healthy ears are important for a cat not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also determine its health and comfort.
Why do ears get dirty? The fact is that they constantly get dust, dead hairs, and flakes of dying skin accumulate. In response to the entry of such particles into the ear, a protective substance is produced - sulfur, which prevents dirt from entering the middle ear.
To some extent, a similar function is performed by the hair growing in and around the ear, therefore, in cats with ears completely or partially devoid of hair (Sphinxes, Siamese cats, Devon Rexes and others), more intense production of wax is observed.
Cats with completely or partially hairless ears experience increased wax production.
In more advanced cases, traffic jams may form. They irritate the mucous membrane of the middle ear, put pressure on the eardrum and can cause hearing and vestibular disorders, which is manifested by impaired motor function (uncertain gait), nausea, and vomiting.
What to use?
To clean your ears, you will need cotton swabs, cotton pads or gauze swabs and a neutral liquid - specialized solutions that can be successfully replaced with boiled water, chamomile infusion or saline solution.
If the cat is healthy and the treatment is carried out for hygienic purposes, you should not use lotions containing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, as they can cause dry skin of the ear canal and more intense production of wax.
Do not make rotational movements in the depths of the ear with a cotton swab. This may damage the skin.
The shape of a cat's ear allows the owner to treat only the visible part of it. And deeper cleaning without visual supervision can lead to injury. Therefore, to improve visibility, the ear is slightly turned out to see the surface being cleaned.
There is no need to make rotational movements in the depths of the ear with a cotton swab. This does not give a good cleaning result and can injure the skin. The brushing motion should always be directed outward, clearing dirt from the ear canal.
Useful tips
When you are not sure of the cat's behavior, it is better to fix it during the procedure. If the cat escapes from your hands during treatment, injury to the ear canal is possible.
If you have a large amount of sulfur, you can make life easier for yourself and your cat with this technique:
- Drop a saline solution heated to 34–39 degrees into the ear canal and gently massage the ear so that the liquid gets into it.
The required number of drops will depend on the age of the kitten, usually from one to three is enough: if the kitten is very small, one drop will be enough; for a grown kitten, three drops can be instilled without harm.
- Allow the cat to reflexively shake its head - this removes softened pieces of sulfur.
- All you have to do is clean the visible parts of your ear with a cotton pad.
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The frequency of ear treatment is best determined by the condition of the auricle, but in any case there is no need to achieve sterile cleanliness, because a cat needs a certain amount of sulfur to protect the ear from dirt. As a rule, the need for ear cleaning occurs no more than once every 2-3 weeks, and sometimes once a month.
If the wax accumulates over a shorter period of time or the cat shows restlessness, shakes its head, or scratches its ears, these are bad signs. She may be sick and should consult a veterinarian.
Cats, like humans, normally produce a substance in their ears that lubricates the inside of the ear. Its remains come out on the visible surface and give the impression of dirty ears. However, the presence of wax in the external auditory canal is normal, and there is no need to go there again with cleaning, and even moreover, it is impossible.
Ear cleaning at varying intervals is prescribed in most cases of ear problems.
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Basically, this treatment should be carried out before using medicinal drops or ointments, since their use in a dirty ear will not give the desired effect. It is especially important to clean in the case of ticks.
Fixing the animal
The ears of kittens and adult cats must be kept clean. The animal cannot do this on its own, so it requires human help. Dirt in the ears, firstly, does not look aesthetically pleasing, and secondly, it can cause certain diseases, for example, inflammation, otitis media.
How to properly clean your ears
Serous crusts that appear in a cat's ears in large numbers indicate the appearance of ear mites. This is a serious disease that is very important to detect at its very beginning and immediately contact a veterinarian. Then the treatment will proceed faster and more effectively. This is why regular ear cleaning for kittens and adult cats is important.
How often cats' ears need to be cleaned depends on their breed. The ears of Sphynx animals get dirty most quickly. Their ears are quite large, not covered with hair, and secretion is more active.
The same, but to a lesser extent, applies to Siamese, Abyssinians, and Rex, who also have large ears. They should be cleaned at least once a week. Medium and small sized ears (Persian cats, folds, etc.) usually need cleaning much less frequently.
But do not forget that each animal is unique, its body has its own characteristics.
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In order to properly clean a kitten’s ears, first of all, it is necessary to immobilize the animal so that it does not jerk at the most inopportune moment and get injured. It is better to act together, when one person holds the kitten, and the second treats the ears. The animal can be held in your arms or placed on its side and only held.
If it actively moves and breaks out, it is recommended to swaddle it, leaving only the head free. If this hygienic procedure is carried out regularly, the baby gets used to it and takes it for granted. It is advisable to treat your baby with his favorite treat at the end to compensate for unpleasant moments and create motivation.
To treat the kitten's ears we will need cotton pads, ear swabs and boiled, cooled water. You can use special lotions purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. So, the kitten's ear is carefully opened with the thumb and forefinger. After a thorough external inspection, you can proceed directly to cleaning.
This is done with careful movements using a swab soaked in water or lotion and cotton swabs. You should move from inside to outside. You should also remove dirty, matted hair, which creates a favorable environment for the development of bacteria and prevents the passage of air to the ear canal.
Calm your baby. Place him on your lap and stroke him, talk to him gently. If you are performing the procedure for the first time, do not under any circumstances show that you are nervous or afraid. A kitten may instinctively press its ears to its head - carefully open the ear and inspect the auricle. In a healthy animal, it should be a pale pink color, with possible pigmentation depending on the color.
If your pet is aggressive, ask an assistant to hold it by the withers - in this state the cat will stop resisting. If you have to take care of your rebel kitten's hygiene alone, you will have to wrap him in a towel, otherwise scratches and bites will be inevitable. Be decisive but gentle. It will take much longer to accustom such an obstinate pet to the rules of hygiene.
What to do if there is dirt inside the ear in the form of black dots or grayish plaque? Lightly moisten a cotton swab with hydrogen peroxide solution and wipe the surface of the ear (from the inside to the outside) until completely clean. Repeat the procedure if necessary. Also, for minor stains, you can use Vaseline or baby oil; just a few drops on a tampon are enough. After cleaning, be sure to wipe the auricle dry - the oil leaves a greasy film on the skin.
This depends on the shape and size of the ears, and is also related to the breed of the kitten. Sphynxes are in first place - they have large ears and increased sulfur secretion. Sphynx cats should have their ears cleaned daily.
Second place on the list is occupied by Abyssinians, Siamese, and large-eared rexes. These kittens have a little hair in their ears, the wax secretion is less intense, so less dust settles on them. These kittens need to have their ears cleaned on average twice a week.
Representatives of the Scottish Fold breed are third in the risk group for ear diseases. Those with folded ears need special care. How to clean the ears of a lop-eared kitten? You need to carefully turn the auricle outward and treat its surface with a sterile swab.
Make it a rule to inspect your kitten's ears daily, but you should not treat them unnecessarily - in this case, the natural microflora of the ear is disrupted.
Unfortunately, the owners of many animals do not know how to properly care for them. They believe that the cat should be well-fed, healthy and toilet trained. The rest is the imagination of veterinarians and a waste of time. After all, somehow cats live on the street and no one cuts them, scratches them or bathes them. This is actually a misconception.
After all, most breeds are bred artificially by man. As a result, such animals get sick more often and are less independent. Long-haired cats should definitely be combed, since they cannot cope with this process on their own. Other breeds require periodic bathing, nail trimming, etc.
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Prevention measures
To avoid unnecessary problems and protect your pet from health problems, you should take care in advance to prevent water from getting into his hearing organs. When bathing, you should try not to wet the animal's head completely. For hygienic purposes, it will be enough to simply wipe the cat's face and the area between the ears with a damp cloth.
A good preventive effect is achieved by placing cotton swabs in the ears, pre-treated in vegetable oil or Vaseline. Once the water procedures are completed, it will be enough to simply pull out the swab and wipe the surface of the auricle with a dry cloth.
