On Wed, 10 Sep 1997 12:33:19 -0400, Automatic digest processor wrote:
 
>Subject: Odiforous ears
>Question: Eddie smells great over the whole body, but the ears are quite
>stinky.  Is this due to wax buildup...I've had him since November but
>haven't yet cleaned his ears; I'm starting to think I should, eh?
 
Yep.  There are probably as many methods as there are owners.  Here's mine:
 
Warm the bottle of ear cleaner (Oti-Clens or Oti-Calm) against your body for
about 15 minutes.  Smear a big glop of Nutrical on your bare knee.  Sit
ferret on your lap with his nose in the Nutrical and tail toward you.
Scruff the ferret to steady his head, but keep his nose in the Nutrical.
 
With your free hand, quickly squirt two drops of cleaner in each ear, then
massage the ears for about 30 seconds.  Wipe the excess with a soft
tissue--do NOT poke INTO the ear canal.  Quickly squirt another two drops in
each ear, massage, and then release ferret.  He will shake out the rest of
the cleaner (and gunk) on his own.
 
Since it's been a while for Eddie, you'll probably want to repeat the
procedure the next day, and then once weekly for 4 weeks.  Then--scout's
honor, please--adhere to a once-every-two-weeks schedule for ear cleaning
(as well as nail trimming).
 
If Eddie shows signs of obvious pain (as opposed to mere discomfort) during
the procedure, please bring him to a vet ASAP to check for ear infection or
mites.  Screaming or severe biting is a sign of pain.
 
Good luck,
 
-- Lee
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[Posted in FML issue 2061]