Cleaning Ears

[Christi]

What's the best way to clean down inside the ears? Ami's are horribly dirty - I rubbed with a Q-tip but it's hard and stuck. I dabbed a little vaseline on it hoping that would loosen it up. Her fur is still yucky also - I think I'm gonna have to give her a water bath but I know she fights hard so I'm gonna have to wait til' after she has the baby (after holding her tonight I'm sure she's preggers.) Any advice would be great.

[Sassy]

What do you mean by dirty inside? Is it dust?
Try dabbing the Q-tip in a solution of peroxide and water (like a capful of peroxide to a capful of water)
If she is preggers who would the father be?
Please do not give her a water bath. It could do more harm than good (this is how alot of chins get upper respiratory infections)

This is just my .02

[Christi]

Hey Sassy,

If she's pregnant the father would be Tuck, Roll or the White Mosaic she was caged with.

As for her ears I don't think it's dust - it's black and yucky!! Keep in mind the first time she had a dust bath was when I got her. These chins were kept in horribly dirty conditions. I have held out on a water bath as a last resort but I'm not sure I have much choice - her fur looks horrible and no matter how many times I let her dust bathe, she comes out looking as bad as she did going in... I will try the solution on her ears. Thanks.

[Sassy]

Ear mites?

[Christi]

I don't think so. I was told that you can see tiny tiny red bugs moving in there and they will have sores in their ears from scratching and it may drain a lot and sometimes smell funny. None of those symptoms apply here. I think she's just dirty.

[Sassy]

(sigh of relief) I will look it up in the books I have and see what I can come up with for you