How do I administer ear medications to my pet?

Most ear medications are a watery, oily or creamy liquid.  They are meant to be placed at the top of the ear canal, into the ear opening we can see, and will run down into the ear canal.  The vial should indicate a number of drops but this is not meant to fill the ear with medication, just get enough in to coat the ear canal when the pet shakes its head or gravity carries the liquid down into the ear.  If the ear flap or side of your pet's head is getting greasy,  unless you are not getting the applicator tip near the top of the ear canal,  you are overapplying the medication, you may use less and still have good results.

It is best to have control of your pet to administer ear medications. That means one person holds the dog's collar and nose while the other lifts the ear flap and gently puts the tip of the medication applicator into the ear canal opening and deposits the medication. Very gentle and trusting dogs may allow one person to do this alone, but most dogs will wiggle away if you don't have help!

It is a very similiar procedure for cats. While cats have very sensitive ears, they are more likely to allow a single person to apply the drops calmly, gently and confidently. If the cat is fighting the procedure, abort and restart later once the cat has calmed down. Forcing a cat into submission typically results in everyone being unhappy.

Please keep in mind, most ears that need medication are already PAINFUL. Try to make the procedure gentle and swift and follow up with a food treat or petting to reward the patient.

Sometime ear medications are meant to be "packed" into the ear. This means the medication is specially formulated into a thick oil (like Vaseline) that fills the ear, holding medication against the inside of the ear. This medication is applied once a week, requiring a gentle cleaning of the ear canal before the next application of packing medicine. The veterinarian will describe and administer the first dose in the exam room, so you can feel comfortable with the procedure at home. These medications are often used only in ear infections that are chronic or resistant to treatment or extremely painful.

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