On Wed, 8 Jul 1998, Melissa Sullivan wrote to the FML:
 
>(1) Ear cleaning -- we desperately need a less traumatic way to get these
>little ears clean!  I currently use a Q-tip dipped in sweet oil but Fee and
>Millie HATE this and ear cleaning is only accomplished by overpowering the
>poor little fuzzies (a feat only forgiven with lots of post-cleaning
>treats).  I will not use the commercial chemical ear wash products and
>treats are no distraction (not even Ferretone).  Any suggestions?
 
Why won't you use the commercial ear wash products (or how do you define
these)?
 
I use Oti-Clens or Oti-Calm, which seem pretty mild.  Ingredients listed on
the Oti-Clens bottle are propylene glycol, malic acid, benzoic acid, and
salicylic acid.  Solvent, anti-infective, and analgesics.
 
Here's my procedure:
 
1.  Warm bottle of cleaner inside bra or waistband for 20-30 minutes.  Get
facial tissue, strong light, and Nutrical, and change into shorts.  Start
stop watch.
 
2.  Retrieve ferret.  Sit her on knee, facing away from you.  Put big smear
of Nutrical on bare knee and stick her nose in it.
 
3.  While she is licking the treat, scruff her gently just to control her
head, and quickly squirt a drop of cleaner in each ear.  Then massage her
ears.  Wipe the ears with the tissue to get the gunk off of her fur.  (Do
not poke into the ear canal.)
 
4.  Still scruffing her and keeping her nose in the Nutrical, put in another
drop in each ear.  Massage the ears, then release her.  She will shake the
cleaner and gunk out.  Check stop watch, note time elapsed.
 
5. Find other ferret and repeat steps 2-4.
 
-- Lee, one of the Massachusetts Ferret Friends
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[Posted in FML issue 2364]