Ear trouble announces itself with a sound: the thump of a dog shaking their head at two in the morning, or the wet scratch of a back foot going at one ear over and over. By the time there is a smell, the problem is well established. Routine cleaning is what stops most of it starting in the first place, and it takes about a minute a week.

The solution softens and lifts the wax, dirt and debris that collect down the canal, so the material can be shaken out rather than pushed further in. That mechanism is the important bit: you flood the ear, massage the base until it squelches, then stand back and let your pet shake, and only wipe away what has come up to the visible part. Cotton swabs are included for that last step. Cleaning regularly also means looking in the ears often enough to catch redness or heat early.

• Cleansing drops for both cats and dogs
• Lifts wax, dirt and debris from the ear canal
• Cotton swabs included
• Suits routine maintenance between grooms
• Helps you spot problems early
• Useful for floppy-eared breeds and outdoor cats

Do not go digging. A swab should never go down into the canal itself, because you push debris deeper and can damage the eardrum. Clean only the part you can see. Stop altogether if the ear is red, painful, smelly or discharging, since that is a vet visit rather than a cleaning job, and flushing an infected or perforated ear makes matters considerably worse.

Who it's for: owners of spaniels, retrievers and other floppy-eared breeds, and of outdoor cats, who want ear care to be routine rather than an emergency.