EpiOtic Advanced-Let’s Talk Ears (What?)
I SAID LET’S TALK ABOUT EARS!
The cleaner they’re kept, the better you hear!
“One more time? I didn’t quite catch that.”
Ever wonder why your dog or cat just wont listen sometimes? Could they be going deaf? Are they developing an infection, making it harder for them to hear?
Honestly, they’re probably just ignoring you. But that’s not important right now! We’re here today to talk about what is!
Ear health is one of the most important aspects of your furry friend’s life. Anyone who has had (or had friends or have had) a Basset Hound, Cocker Spaniel or any other floppy eared dog knows just how important we are talking here.
The ear is a delicate biome that needs to be protected from external bacteria, yeast, dirt, etc. Obviously, that is not always possible- especially when your dog likes to roll in the dirt like my dog does!
And it’s not just dirt and gross things getting into the ear we worry about, either! Something as simple as water can cause an environment that is ideal for things like yeast and certain bacteria. Ear infections often happen as a result of swimming or bathing if the ears are not properly cleaned, as water and debris can become trapped deep in the ear and create that ideal environment for the gross things we were just talking about.
That all being said, the easiest and most efficient and effective way to prevent infections is to regularly clean your pet’s ears. Many veterinarians recommend cleaning weekly to every other week for maintenance, and cleaning ANYTIME after swimming of bathing. If you are planning to be out on the water all day, such as out on a boat or on the beach, wait until the end of the day to clean their ears to ensure that they do not get water back in there after cleaning!
And no, you can not just clean them with a few “q-tips” and some alcohol. That’s how you end up at a vet’s office in a few days! Cotton tipped applicators (“q-tips”) are never recommended for cleaning the ears, unless to remove excess gunk from the outer ear (pinna) or folds therein. Using the cotton tip applicator to try to clean inside of the ear will only push the debris and gunk further down into the horizontal canal.
What’s a horizonal canal? I’m glad you asked! The canine ear looks pretty similar to an uppercase letter “L”, with the downward shaft being the vertical canal and the sideways shaft being the horizontal. You don’t want to be shoving things down into the horizonal canal by any means. The most efficient way to clean the ears is by using a flush or cleaner to essentially break up the debris in the canals and then the flush help to carry the debris out of the ear when they shake, and simply wipe away excess on the ear with soft cotton or soft gauze (paper towels are pretty abrasive and I would not recommend using them). Repeat as many times as needed until no more debris is coming out and there you go! Good job!
So many cleaners, what’s the difference?
Honestly, it’s a remarkably huge difference. You would be very surprised how vastly different these products can be from each other. The thing to keep in mind is that ANYBODY CAN MAKE THESE PRODUCTS, and you absolutely should not trust all of their claims unless verifiable. In the animal world, unfortunately, there are not extremely tight regulations. If you wanted to start pet ear cleaner company tomorrow, I’m 90% sure you could. I don’t know about you, but that scares the heck out of me!
Many of these cleaners are mixtures of perfumes, alcohols, and who knows what else. Many can actually create irritation to the ears, which makes infection more likely. Many also do not have any drying agent in them, which, again, makes them more prone to infection. That being said, you want a product that CLEANS AND DRIES the ears. On that note, we finally get to point of this article, my absolute favorite ear cleaner that I have ever worked with, and the ONLY ear cleaner that I use for my pets and recommend to others (unless a medicated cleaner is needed, but that’s a whole other blog!)
The very best in the biz!
That’s right, only the BEST here! EpiOtic Advanced ear cleanser is BY FAR, without any close competition, my favorite ear cleaner of all time. It is one of the only cleaners on the market that ticks every single box a good ear cleaning agent should. Plus, it even smells pretty nice, and is not overpowering at all like some cleansers.
EpiOtic has MANY benefits and is one of the safest and most used products on the market. In all of my years in clinic and veterinary facilities, every single one used this product and every single one recommended it.
Pros:
Cleans AND dries ears effectively
Neutral PH, non-irritating formula to ensure maximum comfort
No oily residue left on skin or fur
Effectively cleans quickly to eliminate debris and contaminatns in the ear canals
Deodorizes the ears to smell clean, but not perfumed or overpowering
Available online or at most pet stores
You do not have to wait as long as other cleansers after cleaning ears to apply medications if needed
Safe for puppies and kittens
Safe for routine use
Cons:
A little more expensive than some cheaper cleaners, but you REALLY get what you pay for. A little extra for a vetted and truly quality cleaner is worth every penny; and furthermore, the cheaper ear cleaners may even harm your pet, resulting in much mroe spent at the vet’s office anyways!
Trust me, you don’t want to come see me at the clinic because you put rubbing alcohol and perfume in your dog’s ears and now they’re swollen. Especially after this conversation we just had!
Verdict: 10/10
Truly a star of product, this is by far my most recommended product to clients. They didn’t pay me to write this (I wish they did!) and i genuinely mean it when I say I love this product.
Below you will find links to the products talked about in this review.
Keep in mind that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, including commission from certain products. This in no way affects my reviews or ratings and is a way to help keep my website up and running.
