Can I safely use benzalkonium chloride to clean my cat's ears?

This product is labeled for use in cats and dogs. It should be fine to use unless Ewin has a sensitivity to any of the ingredients. You can dab a drop on the ear and monitor for redness or itching. If nothing appears after an hour or so, you can proceed to clean the ears.

NO!! Methylated spirits are toxic to their skin and often times will "burn" them. Also, cats do not like weird smelling things on them and will often lick off anything you apply - in this case, the spirits would be toxic and could cause oral ulcerations. I'm not sure what exactly you want to disinfect on your cat but it is much better to use dilute betadine/iodine solution or chlorhexidine solution. I hope this answers your question. If you have additional questions please feel free to post again! Take care!

Gentamycin is a common ingredient in ear medications. There is a small risk of damaging the hearing, especially if the ear drum is not intact. When I diagnose an ear infection in a pet, I recommend a two-part treatment. The first is with a cleaner to remove any debris; I like DECHRA DermaPet Malacetic Otic. This is important as ear medications need to contact the skin of the ear and if there is ear wax or other debris in the way, then the medications can't work. After the ears are dry, you can apply the medication. Ears typically need to be treated twice a day for 7-10 days. Cats can commonly get ear mites that may look like an ear infection. If you have not treated Melcho for ear mites, I recommend doing so now. If the ear infection does not resolve after using an ear cleaner and the Dexoryl within a week, then Melcho should see the vet as he could have a resistant bacteria growing, yeast infection, parasites, or even a polyp causing problems deep in his ear. I cannot find a list of ingredients for the Trixie ear drops, so I cannot tell you if they would be helpful.

Hi and thanks for posting! The Bio-Groom ear mite cleanser does contain Pyrethrins which can be toxic if consumed in large amounts. While licking a very small amount of it from his paw may not be enough to cause a serious problem, I would still keep on the look out. Concerning signs to watch out for are tremors, seizures, hypersalivation, panting, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend seeing a veterinarian right away.

Unfortunately there are no over the counter medications that I would recommend starting until you can see your vet. I also don't typically recommend cleaning a cat's ears with any washes or solutions unless your vet instructs you to - cats have very sensitive ears and can develop vertigo from vigorous ear cleaning. Your best bet is to see your vet as soon as you can.

I can certainly understand your frustration. I would highly recommend not putting CBD oil in your cats ear however. If the eardrum is still ruptured, then nothing but sterile saline should be introduced inside the ear, because anything else can negatively affect her nervous system (balance, coordination, etc). Also there is no evidence that CBD oil will do anything for an ear infection unfortunately. However, I think you should get additional testing done if your kitty isn't doing better. If an inner ear infection is present, this will be evident by a physical otoscopic exam of the ear, to confirm a ruptured ear drum, and a skull radiograph to detect fluid build-up in the inner ear. If an inner ear infection is present then oral antibiotcs, and sterile saline topically, should be able to resolve the infection. In some cases a bacterial culture of the ear needs to be done to determine which antibiotic will clear the infection successfully. I hope that this is helpful and I wish you all the best with your cats care moving forward. If you need to discuss her case further, then don't hesitate to request a consultation request with either myself or another expert here on the site. Best wishes and take care.

An appropriate ear cleaner would be strongly recommended. Most veterinary clinics and pet stores will have several options. Do not use water, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to clean ears. If you have no other options, a dry cotton ball or soft washcloth can be used to clean what can be reached. Do not insert anything into the ear canal. Read more about ear cleaning at the link below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-clean-your-cat-s-ears-what-you-need-to-know/