Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Lauren Demos

Veterinarian, DVM

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Lauren Demos

Veterinarian, DVM

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

You’ve seen it, you’ve smelt it, and you’ve treated it. Still,  it seems like nothing can banish your cat’s ear problems to the darkest parts of the world, never to be dealt with again.

Not every cat has ear problems. In fact, most cats don’t need their ears messed with. But you’ve been dealt a special hand. And now, it’s time to find the right ear cleaning solution once and for all.

There are a lot of ear cleaners on the market, and it’s hard to decide which one is best if you don’t know what to look for. That’s where we come in. In this post, we’re reviewing 10 cat ear cleaners available in Canada. Later, we’ll discuss why your cat has ear problems and what you can look for to make the best decision.

But enough talk. Let’s get started.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2023)

Image Product Details

Best Overall

Virbac EpiOtic Advanced

Dries fast

Can be used with other ear preparations

Eliminates odor

Check Price

Best Value

Tropiclean Ear Cleaner

Lovely scent

Ingredients made from natural plant sources

Vet-recommended

Check Price

Premium Choice

MalAcetic Otic Cleanser

Great for yeast infections

Pleasing apple scent

Alcohol-free

Check Price

Best for Kittens

OticBliss Advanced Cleaning Wipes

Easy to use

Controls odor

Reduces moisture

Check Price

Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment

Great for yeast infections

Clears ear mites

No antibiotics

Check Price

The 10 Best Cat Eat Cleaners in Canada

1. Virbac EpiOtic Advanced – Best Overall

Check Latest Price

Made In: USA

Application: Liquid

Main Ingredient: Disodium EDTA

Our best overall option for cat cleaners is Virbac’s EpiOtic Advanced ear cleaning solution. Veterinarians, groomers, and cat owners love this ear cleaner, and for a good reason- it gets the job done. And it’s not just one job, either. EpiOtic removes debris and excessive wax and eliminates odor. You can also apply this solution if your cat uses other ear preparations.

What stands out the most about EpiOtic is the castor oil. Castor oil is a vegetable oil used for several purposes, a few being a natural moisturizer, possible wound healer, and odor reducer. Owners don’t seem to notice a thick oily residue after applying the ear cleaner either.

However, cat owners don’t care for the pungent smell. There’s fragrance in the solution to help, but that might irritate your cat’s ears further. On top of that, the solution contains blue dye, and the bottle could leak. But overall, we believe this ear cleaner is worth a try.

Removes debris and excessive wax

Dries fast

Can be used with other ear preparations

Eliminates odor

  • Removes debris and excessive wax
  • Dries fast
  • Can be used with other ear preparations
  • Eliminates odor

Pungent smell

Contains blue dye and fragrance

  • Pungent smell
  • Contains blue dye and fragrance
  1. Tropiclean Ear Cleaner – Best Value Check Latest Price

Made In: USA

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Purified water, Boric acid

Tropiclean makes several products we love, one of which is their ear cleaner. If you’re looking for a natural, affordable, and vet-recommended ear cleaner, Tropiclean’s is the best for the money.

All of the ingredients in this ear cleaner stem from natural plant sources such as grapes and oat kernels. The most prominent component is boric acid from mineral borax. Some people hesitate to use borax for safety reasons. However, you’re not dealing with raw borax, so there’s no need to worry.

Ultimately, we like how great this product smells and how affordable it is. The fragrance might irritate your cat’s ears, so be mindful of that. Since this ear cleaner isn’t medicated, it’s not ideal for cats with severe infections. Also, the bottle doesn’t say how much to put in the ear canal, so it’s best to put the solution on the cotton ball first, then wipe your cat’s ears.

Lovely scent

Ingredients made from natural plant sources

Vet-recommended

Affordable

  • Lovely scent
  • Ingredients made from natural plant sources
  • Vet-recommended
  • Affordable

Not effective for infections

Unclear how much to use in ear canal

Contains fragrance

  • Not effective for infections
  • Unclear how much to use in ear canal
  • Contains fragrance
  1. MalAcetic Otic Cleanser – Premium Choice Check Latest Price

Made In: USA

Made In: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Acetic acid, Boric acid

Our favorite premium choice is MalAcetic Otic cleanser. It’s expensive compared to the other options on this list. Still, it’s excellent for fungal and yeast infections thanks to its antimicrobial properties. Specifically, this solution helps balance the pH of your cat’s skin to prevent fungus and yeast from growing. It will also help prevent future infections, so it’s a good buy if your cat struggles with ear issues regularly.

We like that this product is alcohol-free since alcohol can further irritate the ears. It also has a pleasing apple scent instead of a heavy floral scent. The fragrance may bother your cat, though.

Great for fungal infections

Great for yeast infections

Pleasing apple scent

Alcohol-free

  • Great for fungal infections
  • Great for yeast infections
  • Pleasing apple scent
  • Alcohol-free

Pricey

Contains fragrance

  • Pricey
  • Contains fragrance
  1. OticBliss Advanced Cleaning Wipes – Best for Kittens Check Latest Price

Made In: USA

Application: Wipes

Main Ingredient: Water, Glycerin

OcticBliss Advanced cleaning wipes are our go-to for kittens since they’re so tiny and wiggly. These wipes are expensive, but we like how easy to use the wipes are and how well it softens sticky ear wax. The primary ingredient in this solution is glycerin, a powerful moisturizer that helps heal wounds, protects the skin, and relieves dry and itchy skin. There’s also vitamin E and aloe vera juice for nourishment and relief.

With wipes, you can’t penetrate the ear canal like you could with a liquid solution, but since kittens are so tiny, you shouldn’t have a problem. The only thing to watch out for is the fragrance, alcohol, and blue dye, as these might irritate your kitten’s ears.

Easy to use

Controls odor

Reduces moisture

Vitamin E for nourishment

Aloe vera juice for soothing relief

  • Easy to use
  • Controls odor
  • Reduces moisture
  • Vitamin E for nourishment
  • Aloe vera juice for soothing relief

Pricey

Contains fragrance

Contains alcohol

Contains blue dye

  • Pricey
  • Contains fragrance
  • Contains alcohol
  • Contains blue dye
  1. Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment Check Latest Price

Made In:  USA

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Propylene glycol

Number five on our list is Zymox Otic pet ear treatment. This solution works wonders on pets with chronic viral and yeast infections. The main ingredient is propylene glycol, a common food additive in the same family as alcohol. This ingredient has a lot of controversy because of certain side effects with hearing in the past. But if you’re desperate, Zymox can really make a difference.

With Zymox, you won’t see immediate results. You have to give the solution a few days to start taking effect. But within 7–14 days, cat owners report reduced inflammation, odorless ears, and ear mites completely gone. We should also mention that this solution doesn’t contain hydrocortisone, but there is a Zymox solution with hydrocortisone if that’s what you need.

Great for viral infections

Great for yeast infections

Clears ear mites

No antibiotics

  • Great for viral infections
  • Great for yeast infections
  • Clears ear mites
  • No antibiotics

No hydrocortisone

Contains alcohol

Controversy with propylene glycol

  • No hydrocortisone
  • Contains alcohol
  • Controversy with propylene glycol
  1. OticBliss Advanced Ear Cleaning Flush Check Latest Price

Made In: USA

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Water, Glycerin

Next on our list is OticBliss Advanced ear cleaning flush. This is the same solution that we recommend for kittens, except this is the liquid drop form. Usually, liquid drops penetrate the ear canal much better than wipes, so if the wipes don’t work, you can always try the flush.

This solution has the same pros and cons as the wipes. It contains glycerin as the main ingredient, helps control odor, and reduces moisture. Overall, this is a nice product if you have a cat that likes to swim. But just like the wipes, it contains alcohol, fragrance, and blue dye, which might irritate your cat’s ears. So just be cautious of those elements.

More effective than the wipes

Controls odor

Reduces moisture

Vitamin E for nourishment

Aloe vera juice for soothing relief

  • More effective than the wipes
  • Controls odor
  • Reduces moisture
  • Vitamin E for nourishment
  • Aloe vera juice for soothing relief
  1. Vet Solutions Ear Cleaner Check Latest Price

Made In: Canada

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: SD-Alcohol 40

Vet Solutions is a Canadian product perfect for daily cleansing and deodorizing. This cleanser is best used as a daily cleanser. However, many pet parents have tried this product desperately to relieve chronic infections and have had great success. It’s a bit pricey upfront, but you get a big bottle, so the cleanser lasts much longer.

The primary ingredient is SD-Alcohol 40, a type of alcohol often used in skincare and cosmetic products. It has great antimicrobial properties, reduces oils, tightens pores, and ultimately cleanses the skin.

Pet parents report significant improvement in just a couple of days of using this cleanser. There is alcohol in this formula, and many owners say the solution smells horrible, which your cat won’t appreciate.

Antimicrobial

Made in Canada

Big bottle

Fast acting

  • Antimicrobial
  • Made in Canada
  • Big bottle
  • Fast acting

Not ideal for severe infections

Contains alcohol

Bad smell

  • Not ideal for severe infections
  • Contains alcohol
  • Bad smell
  1. Surosolve Ear Cleaner Check Latest Price

Made In: Canada

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Salicylic acid

Surosolve is another Canadian product perfect as a basic ear cleaner, specifically with smelly ears. The main ingredient is salicylic acid and is primarily neutral with a slightly more acidic pH, adequately eliminating odor. It also leaves a pleasant scent afterward.

We like how simple and affordable this solution is. It serves as a great daily cleanser for healthy ears. However, it’s not great for cats with chronic ear conditions or infections. The bottle doesn’t tell you how much to use, either. But if your cat generally has healthy ears and needs a simple cleaning, we recommend Surosolve.

Eliminates odor

Great daily cleanser

Affordable

Made in Canada

  • Eliminates odor
  • Great daily cleanser
  • Affordable
  • Made in Canada

Not ideal for severe infections

No directions on how much to use

  • Not ideal for severe infections
  • No directions on how much to use
  1. OxyFresh Pet Ear Cleaner Check Latest Price

Made In: USA

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Water, Decyl Glucoside

Number nine on our list is OxyFresh pet ear cleaner. This ear cleaner contains no alcohol, fragrance, or dyes, making it an excellent option for sensitive ears. The main ingredient is decyl glucoside, a surfactant commonly found in baby shampoo. It’s gentle on sensitive skin, plant-derived, and biodegradable.

This cleanser is best for eliminating odors, but the downside is the smell. It’s enough to send your cat running for the hills. It’s also not effective for eliminating mites. Some owners stated the product is challenging to remove from their pet’s fur. But ultimately, it’s a nice option if your cat has sensitive skin and you want to go the more natural route.

No alcohol

No fragrance

No dye

Great for sensitive ears

  • No alcohol
  • No fragrance
  • No dye
  • Great for sensitive ears

Difficult to clean out of fur

Horrible smell

Not good for mites

  • Difficult to clean out of fur
  • Horrible smell
  • Not good for mites
  1. NaturPet Check Latest Price

Made In:  Canada

Application: Liquid drops

Main Ingredient: Olive oil

If you prefer to go the all-natural route using herbs only, you can try NaturPet. This product is primarily olive oil with calendula, vitamin E, and aloe vera. Calendula is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, but the effects are mild.

Overall, Naturpet is very hydrating and does a good job loosening tough wax for basic cleansing. It also puts off a pleasant herbal scent. Results are 50/50 with this product, though. It’s not suitable for animals with chronic ear infections. It could help your cat, but it could also not do anything. Thankfully, the product is affordable.

Affordable

All natural ingredients

Hydrating

Pleasant herbal smell

  • Affordable
  • All natural ingredients
  • Hydrating
  • Pleasant herbal smell

Not medicated

For basic cleansing only

  • Not medicated
  • For basic cleansing only

Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Cat Ear Cleaners in Canada

What Healthy Cat Ears Should Look Like

Healthy cat ears look pink (not red) with no discharge or odor. There should be little to no wax, and your cat should have no issues hearing you open the bag of cat food at mealtime. Every once in a while, your cat will scratch its ears, but it shouldn’t be a regular thing.

What Causes Dirty Cat Ears?

Dirty cat ears are a common problem with felines. Cats are excellent bathers, but when it comes to the inside of the ear, they can’t clean the area like the rest of their bodies and are prone to wax build-up. Usually, some excess wax build-up isn’t a problem. All you need is a good ear cleaner.

But sometimes, dirty ears can be a sign of something bigger. The two biggest contributors to dirty cat ears are ear mites and infections. As a cat owner, it’s important to know the difference between the two.

Ear Mites

Ear mites are microscopic insects that like to feed on ear wax, although they can be found in other areas of the body. These tiny bugs can be irritating to your cat to the point of extreme discomfort. Thankfully, topical medication and a good ear cleaning can usually take care of the problem before it gets out of hand.

Thick accumulation of cream, brown, or black wax

Scratching or pawing at the ears

Hair loss around the ears

Crusted rash around the ears

Blisters

Skin lesions

  • Thick accumulation of cream, brown, or black wax
  • Scratching or pawing at the ears
  • Hair loss around the ears
  • Crusted rash around the ears
  • Blisters
  • Skin lesions

Ear Infections

Ear infections are serious business. It’s important to treat an ear infection right away. If you don’t, a lingering ear infection can cause permanent deafness and may require surgery in extreme cases.

There are several reasons why your cat can develop an ear infection. After a thorough examination, your vet may prescribe antibiotics but sometimes antifungal or anti-inflammatory prescriptions. It depends on what’s causing the infection. It could be debris caught in the ear canal, excessive wax build-up, autoimmune diseases, allergies, or drug reactions. But the most common cause is an ear mite infestation.

Pawing at the ear

Excessive itching

Head shaking

Loss of balance

Bad odor from the ear

Intense redness

Black or yellow discharge

  • Pawing at the ear
  • Excessive itching
  • Head shaking
  • Loss of balance
  • Bad odor from the ear
  • Intense redness
  • Black or yellow discharge

As you can see, some symptoms are similar to a simple ear mite infestation. That’s why cleaning your cat’s ears when dirty will help prevent the issue from manifesting into a more serious situation.

If you’re unsure if your cat’s ears are just dirty or there’s an infection brewing, it’s best to take your cat to your veterinarian.

How Ear Cleaner Works

So, you’ve identified that your cat’s ears are dirty, and you need some ear cleaner. But how is the ear cleaner supposed to work exactly? And does it actually help?

There are several brands of ear cleaners, and they all work a little differently. Some ear cleaners have antibacterial and antifungal properties to prevent infections. Other ear cleaners help prevent wax build-up. Your veterinarian is a good resource for choosing the best ear cleaner for your kitty.

Medicated vs. Natural

Many ear cleaners are medicated or have some active ingredient(s) that prevents yeast, bacteria, or fungus. Knowing the active ingredients will help you understand how the ear cleaner helps.

The most common ingredients you’ll find in medicated or store-bought ear cleaners include:

  • Hydrocortisone (steroid) – Prevents and fights itchiness.
  • Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid – Prevents and fights yeast or mild bacteria.
  • Ketoconazole – Prevents and fights fungus.

Natural ear cleaners typically include no steroids, solvents, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, or synthetic chemicals. These cleaners may work, but they’re not always vet-approved and can cause adverse reactions, especially with tea tree oil cleaners. Plus, they don’t always go through extensive testing like medicated cleaners.

Whether you choose a medicated or natural cleaner, research all the ingredients and apply a small amount to a section of your cat’s ear. If your cat shows no adverse reactions, you can use the clear to the rest of the ears.

Drops vs. Wipes

With ear cleaners, you can choose drops or wipes. Liquid drops are customarily more effective than wipes because the liquid can penetrate the ear past the point of your reach. You also might have to deal with dry wipes if they’re not correctly sealed. It’s totally up to you.

However, cat owners tend to have a better experience with wipes because cats don’t like drops in their ears. You can easily avoid this by placing the drops on the cotton ball first, then cleaning the ear canal.

Which Ear Cleaner Is Best for My Cat?

All in all, a vet-approved ear cleaner is best. These ear cleaners have been tested to ensure no adverse reactions and effective results.

Since not all vet-approved ear cleaners work the same way, you have to consider your cat’s needs. Maybe your cat has itchy ears and needs a cleaner with hydrocortisone. Or perhaps your cat likes to swim. In that case, you’d want an ear cleaner with fast-drying ingredients. Maybe your cat needs help removing excess wax. Whatever the issue, look at the ingredients and determine if it works for your cat.

If you’re unsure what your cat needs, a trip to the vet can solve this issue.

How to Deep Clean Your Cat’s Ears

It depends on the cat and the degree of dirtiness. Some cats never need their ears cleaned, and others need their ears cleaned weekly. No matter how often you wash your cat’s ears, you’ll follow the same six-step process to make those ears shine.

Cleaning cat ears isn’t tricky, but your cat can be challenging to handle. It’s a good idea to start the process after a play session since your cat will be tuckered out. Just don’t expect your cat to sit still when it has the zoomies.

Gather supplies

Grab the ear cleaner, cotton balls or wipes, nail trimmers, and treats. Have everything laid out and ready to go to make the process smooth and quick.

Trim nails

Not everyone is comfortable with trimming cat nails, but it’s a good idea if you can. You don’t want to walk away from simple ear cleaning with battle wounds.

Situate your cat

Position your cat in a way that’s comfortable for both of you. This can be on the floor or a table. You can try burrito wrapping your cat in a blanket if your cat is wiggly or has sharp claws.

Clean the ear canal

Using a cotton ball or wipe, gently clean inside the ear canal, ensuring to go only as far as your finger will reach.

Clean the outer ear

After you’ve cleaned the ear canal, debris may stick to the outside of the ear. Using a cotton ball or wipe, gently wipe the outer ear clean.

Give your cat some love

Offer your cat a treat for being a good kitty. Even if your cat didn’t sit still, reward it anyway, so it associates ear cleaning with something positive. This is also a good time to leave your cat alone and let it bathe itself.

Dos and Don’ts to Cleaning Your Cat’s Ears

As we’ve said before, cleaning cat ears shouldn’t be that difficult, but there are some dos and don’ts to avoid injuring your cat. Let’s first go over some things you should never do or use.

Using Q-tips

Using peroxide

Pulling on your cat’s ear

  • Using Q-tips
  • Using peroxide
  • Pulling on your cat’s ear

Reward your cat

Stop if your cat appears to be in pain

Let your cat shake its head after the ear cleaning

  • Reward your cat
  • Stop if your cat appears to be in pain
  • Let your cat shake its head after the ear cleaning

Conclusion

We hope this buyer’s guide has given you something to think about. Let’s do a quick review, shall we?

Our number one choice is EpiOtic pet ear cleaner. This product seems to do it all and doesn’t contain harmful ingredients besides alcohol. It’s also affordable. But if you’re looking for a cheaper product with more natural ingredients, go with Tropiclean’s pet ear cleaner. The ingredients come from natural plant sources and leave a lovely scent.

If you’re willing to spend extra money, try the MalAcetic Otic cleanser. It’s alcohol-free and great with fungal and yeast infections. Plus, it helps prevent future conditions, which is the icing on the cake for many pet parents.

Sources

https://pets.webmd.com/cats/ear-discharge-in-cats#:~:text=Ear%20infections%20in%20cats%20can,the%20ear%20canal%2C%20and%20environmental https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/instructions-for-ear-cleaning-in-cats https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ear-mites-otodectes-in-cats-and-dogs https://www.greatpetcare.com/pet-grooming/dog-ear-cleaner-picks/ https://excitedcats.com/best-cat-ear-cleaners/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6435308/ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/castor-oil#3.-May-promote-wound-healing https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/borax-sodium-tetraborate https://www.healthline.com/health/glycerin-for-face#benefits https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1207541/ https://thedermreview.com/sd-alcohol-40/ https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/calendula

Featured Image Credit: woraatep suppavas, Shutterstock