Things You'll Need:
- Dry, clean towels
- Mild soap
- Ear mite drops
- Veterinarian who treats exotic animals
- Warm water
- Cotton swabs
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Step 1
Find out if ear mites are the reason why you are noticing dirt in your pet opossum's ears by using a small penlight to inspect the lower part of the ear. Look for flaky, granularly specks. Ask your vet for ear mite drops if you suspect that this is the problem.
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Step 2
Gather a few cotton swabs, some clean dry towels and grab a small bowl and fill it with lukewarm water. Use a very mild soap, such as an oatmeal soap, and add a small amount of it to the water.
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Step 3
Set everything at a level close to the ground. You don't want your pet opossum to fall if it gets startled by the water and tries to run away from you.
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Step 4
Bring your opossum over and gently play with it and caress it for a few moments before you begin. Eliminate the chance of having an interruption or distraction that could cause your opossum to panic and jump out of your arms while you're trying to clean its ears.
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Step 5
Dip a cotton swab into the warm soapy water. Begin with the outside of the opossum's ear, stroking slowly but firmly, taking occasional pauses to make sure the experience isn't too uncomfortable. Then, once you are convinced that your opossum is relaxed, move toward the inner ear and clean it, too.
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Step 6
Make sure you don't leave any soapy residue inside your opossum's ears. A second bowl of warm water without soap might be a good idea to use as a rinse.
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Step 7
Dry each ear immediately after your clean it. Never use a hair dryer, which is too noisy and will scare your opossum.
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Step 8
Use the ear mite drops, if warranted, after the ears are completely dry.
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Step 9
Give your pet opossum a special treat, such as some chopped chicken or a hard-boiled egg, after you are done.
