Instructions
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So your cat needs some ear drops. No problem. Let’s go through the process. Before you get started, you need to know whether the bottle or syringe can actually be placed in your cat’s ear. Your vet team can tell you this. Start by warming the medication in your hand. Gently shake the bottle as instructed if needed. Draw up the liquid into a syringe or dropper according to the dosing instructions.
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Now there are different ways to hold your cat when giving them ear drops, and there is no right way to do this. Just the way that works best for you and your cat. One way is to hold the cat in your lap facing away from you. Another is to sit beside them. Something that might work if your cat doesn’t like being held.
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If needed, you can try wrapping them in a towel, leaving their head exposed. You may even decide to have someone else hold your cat while you give the drops. Now that you’ve got your cat in a comfortable position, take the dropper, syringe, or bottle between the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand. If you need to bring your cat’s head up.
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Try rubbing under their jaw using whatever hand is comfortable. Gently rub around the ear to be treated, provided the ear is itchy and not painful. This can help distract your cat from the medication as you rub. Gently hold the ear to be treated. If the bottle is designed to go into the ear, gently place the tip of the bottle into the ear canal and give the prescribed number of drops.
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If the bottle or syringe should not touch the ear, make sure to hold the ear straight up as much as possible before squeezing the drops into the ear canal. Once given, gently massage the base of the ear for about 30s. You should hear a squishing sound as the medication moves deep into the ear canal. If your cat won’t let you do this, that’s okay.
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Just try your best. Release the ear and let your cat shake their head. Any debris in the ear canal may shake out, so just gently wipe it away with a tissue or cotton ball. Finally, wipe off the tip of the bottle or the syringe with a small amount of alcohol. This can help prevent the spread of bacteria or yeast.
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Here’s a few extra tips. Cats ear canals are L-shaped, so pulling up on their ear flap will straighten out the ear canal and make it easier for medication to flow to the target area. Your conditions can be painful if just touching your cat’s ear sends them running. Ask your vet about pain medication. And lastly, giving your drops is not a race.
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Take it as slow as you need to give yourself and your cat time to work through the process. Here are the key things to remember when giving your medication. Find a position that’s comfortable. Pull gently on the ear flap and praise your cat when it’s over. Giving ear medication may not go as planned the first time or even the 10th time, but as a pet owner, you do the best you can because your cat is worth it.