To Pat Ball:
 
> Is there a solution that I can use to clean ferret ears.
>I've been just using a little soapy water, but with Cherokee, that's not
>really enough.  For one thing the q-tips are still a little rough on his
>little ears, and for another they just don't seem to be doing the job.
>Maybe I'm not cleaning his ears properly or something.  I can clean them
>this morning and this evening they are really dirty already.  How often
>should I clean them?  Thanks for the assist.
 
        Check with your vet and ask him for a cerumenolytic.  There are quite a
few on the market - squeeze in a litle bit, massage for a few seconds, let it
sit a minute or so and voila! - use your Q-tip to clean up what's left.
 
        I recommend once a week.  In cases with mites of infection, daily is the
rule, but once a week for routine maintenance.
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 782-2600/2602                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
[Posted in FML issue 0983]