Is it necessary to clean my guinea pig's ears, or do they self-clean?

Hello, an otoscope would not be very practical, it's too large to get into a guinea pig's ear and you will not be able to manage to check the teeth with it either (most guinea pigs needs to be under anaesthesia to check the teeth). It's not necessary to clean the ears, external ear infections are rare in guinea pigs, they tend to suffer from middle ear infections but those are not related to the external condition of the ears.

As long as he isn't shaking his head or scratching at the ear excessively, you can use a cotton swab dipped in mineral oil to gently clean the outer ear. Never insert anything down into the ear canal. Check and clean the ears once weekly. If he begins to scratch or shake, have him examined by your vet to diagnose and treat possible ear infection.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Guinea pigs should clean and groom themselves, so you do not need to try to clean them! Especially if you have multiple pigs, they may clean each other. I hope this is helpful!

It may, but it could leave the pinna (ear flap) deformed. Ideally, it should be treated by your veterinarian. The gold standard for treatment is surgically cleaning it out, stopping the bleeding and suturing the ear flaps together. Treating any underlying condition, usually ear infection, is also necessary to stop excessive head shaking.

Thank you for your question about Oreo. Dry skin on the ears of guinea pigs is very common, and you may also see flaking of brown debris from within their ears as well. This flaking is their normal cerumen (ear wax) and it just tends to be brown to black in color, depending on the color of your guinea pig. For the dryness, I am not sure why you are seeing it only on one ear - sometimes if one ear is black (or dark in color) and one is white (or light in color) that it is easier to see the dry skin on one versus the other. To help with the dryness, you can rub a small amount of Aquaphor ointment on the ear. This medication is used for eczema in humans and can help hold in moisture. Apply it very sparingly, and if Oreo is bothered by it at all, I would recommend discontinuing it. Less commonly, guinea pigs can get skin infections of their ears. If you see that the flaky skin becomes crusty, red, swollen, has a smell, or if Oreo is bothered by the ear, I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian. They would be able to evaluate the ear and may take samples of the skin surface to look at under the microscope. If they determine it is an infection, they can prescribe treatments such as antibiotics and pain medications. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck with your new pet!

A small amount of dryness on the ears of guinea pigs can be normal. If Lily is not scratching at her ears and there are no other lesions present on her skin, then I would recommend you just monitor the condition for now. If however she seems itchy, lethargic, or her coat and/or skin is abnormal in other spots, I would recommend taking her in to your vet to be examined. It is true that guinea pigs frequently get ringworm infections but they can also get bacterial infections and mite infestations as well. A thorough exam by your vet will be able to determine which is causing the problem. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I would assume your sister meant an ear infection inside the ear, but I cannot be sure without seeing it. The best thing to do is take in your pet to your veterinarian-ear infections will require prescription antibiotics to clear up, and can become quite serious and painful for Fluff if it isn't treated soon and properly. I hope this helps!