Golden Retriever Ear Grooming
The first step in ensuring that your Golden Retrievers ears are healthy and clean is making sure that they are groomed consistently and in the right way.
A buildup of fur near the ear can cause unwanted consequences such as ear infections and wax buildup where the hair blocks the ear canal. It is important to groom your pup regularly to ensure this doesnt happen.
Here are some tips on how to groom your Golden Retrievers ears at home:
- Start by using a small comb to brush the hair on the underneath side of your dogs ears, then move to the outside. This helps rid the ear hair of any knots and tangles!
- Examine the ear for any skin problems, wax, mites, or signs of infection.
- Comb the undersides of the ear hair down and then slowly trim the long hair with grooming scissors to create the desired shape you would like your pup to have.
- Be careful not to brush too abruptly so you dont risk injuring your pups eyes, nose, or mouth.
Pro tip: Golden Retriever ears usually need to be fully groomed about every four weeks! If a Golden Retrievers ear grooming is not maintained, it may develop matted ear fur.
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Recovery And Management Of Ear Infections In Dogs
You can expect at least one follow-up visit to the veterinarian during the recovery process. During this time, it is essential to follow your veterinarians instructions and administer all medications for the prescribed time. Clinical signs often resolve shortly after starting medical therapy, which can tempt owners to stop treating. However, the infection may still be present, and stopping and restarting medications can lead to medication resistance and additional complications.
During your dogs recovery, try to prevent your dog from irritating his ears or getting his ears wet. Doing so slows the healing process and can aggravate the condition or introduce new bacterial or fungal infections. Veterinarians may also recommend additional steps to manage ear infections, like removing the hair from the ear canal.
In cases with recurring infections, treating the underlying cause is especially crucial, and it requires time, additional diagnostic testing, and follow-up visits.
Cleaning Your Golden Retrievers Ears
Here is a short but helpful video demonstrating how to clean your dogs ears at home.
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How Can Ear Infections In Dogs Be Prevented
To keep poochâs ears healthy, regularly check for discharge, odor, and swelling. After your dog bathes or swims, gently dry the outer part of the ears as well as you can. You may also use an ear cleaning medicine that has a drying agent.
If your dog has hair in the opening of their ears, ask their groomer to trim or tweeze it. You can do it yourself if your dog will let you, but you need to be very careful. Only pluck hairs that are easily visible. Never insert any object into the ear canal unless your vet has shown you how to do it safely. Otherwise, you can damage the eardrum and cause severe problems.
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How Important Is It To Treat An Ear Infection
Dogs with ear infections are uncomfortable. Their ears are a source of constant pain and they frequently scratch them and shake their head. This can cause a condition called an ‘aural hematoma,’ in which blood vessels in the ear flap break, causing a painful swelling that requires surgical treatment. Deep ear infections can damage or rupture the eardrum, causing an internal ear infection and even permanent hearing loss.
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How To Help Your Golden Retriever Stay Healthy
Some of these conditions are genetic and will affect your Golden Retriever no matter how healthy they are.
But by helping your Golden to be as healthy as possible, youre giving them the best chance to avoid preventable problems.
Tips on keeping your Golden Retriever healthy:
- Research when you get your Golden: This means checking the elbow and hip scores of the parent dogs and the family history of health problems. A reputable breeder will be happy to provide you with all this information.
- Daily care: This covers bathing, brushing their teeth, cleaning their ears, grooming, and more. Not only will they look good, but itll help avoid dental problems, skin irritations, and ear infections if you stay on top of it.
- Exercise: Adult Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercise . This will keep your Golden fit, healthy, and happy.
- Healthy diet: Make sure that you do your research so youre giving your Golden Retriever a healthy, balanced diet. Eating the wrong food can upset their stomachs and cause long-term health issues like obesity.
- Regular vet check-ups: Almost any health problem is best if its found early and treated. Being proactive as soon as you suspect something isnt right is critical. Yearly check-ups are also advised.
- Get health insurance: Getting pet insurance means that if there are any problems, you can get treatment without having to suddenly find a lot of money.
What Is The Golden Retriever Puppy Ear Color
The Golden Retriever Puppy Ear Color is a method owner can use to predict their pups fur coat color when growing. Many owners get surprised when their Golden Retrievers fur changes from the one they initially had, which usually occurs around the 12 weeks old mark.
The best way to know or have a better prediction of the final fur color is by looking at the ear tips of your Golden Retriever puppy. This is similar to how some people can tell which skin tone a baby will have by looking at the back of their ears, which has often proven correct.
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Diagnosing Ear Infections In Dogs
Veterinarians diagnose ear infections in dogs based on clinical signs and diagnostic tests. Upon examination, your veterinarian will take a look at your dogs ear. They will most likely use a tool called an otoscope, which allows them to see into the ear canal and look for changes and signs of damage to the eardrum. This might require sedating your dog, as it might be uncomfortable. Your veterinarian may then take a swab of the ear canal to examine under a microscope, which allows them to look for bacteria, yeast, and signs of ear mites.
Inner ear infections may require a complete neurological examination. Additionally, your veterinarian may recommend laboratory tests for diseases like rickettsial, a deep ear flush, radiographic imaging, and an MRI.
Once the ear infection is diagnosed, your veterinarian will start looking for the cause of the infection. This is important for treatment, as the infection is likely to return if the underlying cause is not addressed. Depending on your dogs condition, this may include blood work, skin scrapings, allergy testing, and biopsies.
What Health Problems Are Golden Retrievers Most Prone To
Golden Retrievers are incredible pets.
But like a lot of purebred dogs, there are a handful of health conditions which these beautiful dogs seem to be ailed with.
These are the most common issues they have:
- Von Willebrand Disease
Keep reading for a description of these problems and the common signs of them in a Golden Retriever.
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Symptoms Of An Ear Infection
- ears appear red/inflamed, and a black/brown or yellow/green discharge may be seen
- unusual eye movements
- walking in circles or head tilting
Ears are very sensitive. If you feel your pet may have a problem, please contact your local Greencross Vet. Having your pets ears examined by a veterinarian will allow them to determine whether the eardrum is intact or if there are any foreign materials in the ear canal. Vets can also obtain a sample for further diagnostics. Your vet will diagnose the cause of the problem and provide the best treatment and home care plan to combat the condition and have your pet in top shape once again.
How Do I Trim My Dogs Ear Hair
You can pay a groomer to trim your pups ear hair, but a lot of owners choose to do it themselves.
To learn how to groom your goldens ears, check out this video by eHow. In the video, a groomer demonstrates how to effectively trim inside and around your goldens ears using a comb, thinning shear, straight shear, and a stripping knife:
You will definitely need to purchase thinning shears and straight shears to keep the hair inside of your pups ears thin and the hair on the outside of the ears short and neat.
In the video, the groomer also recommends using something called a stripping knife. While not absolutely necessary, this tool is useful for getting hairs off of the outside of your goldens ears that are difficult to remove using a comb or a brush.
If you need to purchase some grooming shears and a comb, check out Chibuy Professional Pet Grooming Scissors on Amazon. Chibuy offers a set that comes with straight shears, thinning shears, and a comb. The shears come with rounded edges to better protect you and your golden while trimming.
If youd also like to purchase a stripping knife, take a peek at the . This wonderful product will remove that pesky hair from your goldens ears in no time. The Mars Stripping Knife is made with quality materials, including a stainless steel blade and a wooden handle.
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Causes Of Ear Infections In Dogs
There are a number of different causes of ear infections in dogs. While bacterial infections are the most common cause of ear infections in dogs, yeast, ear mites, and fungus can all cause your dog’s ears to become infected and uncomfortable. Other causes of dog ear infections include foreign objects lodged in the ear, trauma, and tumors or polyps.
Strong Odor From The Ear
Dogs who have moderate-to-severe ear infections may also suffer from a strong, unpleasant odor coming from the ear. This odor may come from the outer part of the ear, but it is much more likely that it will come from deep within the ear. You may be able to smell it without even really trying.
This symptom occurs because of the buildup of bacteria within your dogs ear. As the infection progresses, your dogs ear will become more and more bacteria-laden and the smell will get worse and worse.
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Frequent Ear Cleaning And Plucking Of Hair Within The Ear Canal
When you frequently clean your dog’s ears or pluck fur from their ears, this also increases the risk of developing an ear infection. Plucking hair from the ear canal incites inflammation which will result in an ear infection. Frequent, aggressive cleaning will disrupt the pH and normal ecosystem within the ear canals which will cause an overgrowth of yeast and bacteria, therefore resulting in chronic ear infections.
How Do You Know Which Drug To Use
First, the ear canal is examined with an otoscope, an instrument that provides magnification and light. This examination allows your veterinarian to determine whether the eardrum is intact and if there is any foreign material in the canal. When a dog is in extreme pain and refuses to allow the examination, it may be necessary to sedate or anesthetize the dog for a thorough examination.
The next step is to examine a sample of the material from the ear canal under a microscope to determine the type of organism causing the infection. Microscopic examination is important in helping your veterinarian choose the right medication to treat the inflamed ear canal. Culture and susceptibility tests are often used in severe or chronic ear infections to ensure your pet is receiving the right medication.
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My Dog’s Ear Canal Is Nearly Closed Is That A Problem
Closing of the ear canal is another result of a chronic ear infection. This is known as hyperplasia or stenosis. If the ear canal is swollen, it is difficult or impossible for medications to penetrate into the horizontal canal. Anti-inflammatory medications can sometimes shrink the swollen tissues and open the canal in some dogs. Most cases of hyperplasia will eventually require surgery.
What Causes Ear Infections In Dogs
The canine ear canal is more vertical than that of a human, forming an L-shape that tends to hold in fluid. This makes dogs more prone to ear infections. Ear infections are typically caused by bacteria, yeast, or a combination of both. In puppies, ear mites can also be a source of infection.
Factors that may predispose your dog to ear infections include:
- Moisture, which can create a prime growing environment for bacteria and yeast
- Allergies, which lead to ear disease in about 50 percent of dogs with allergic skin disease and 80 percent of dogs with food sensitivities
- Endocrine disorders, such as thyroid disease
- Autoimmune disorders
- Injury to the ear canal
- Excessive cleaning
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What Are The Signs Of An Ear Infection
- Scratching at the ears Ear infections can be extremely itchy. Dogs will scratch at their ears to itch them, but in doing so can cause more damage and irritation.
- Shaking the head Shaking the head is another way a dog will try to itch the ears. It looks as if they are trying to shake water out of their ears.
- Redness An infected ear is often red on the inside of the ear flap and/or in the ear canal.
- Wax and debris build up Infected ears will have more wax and debris built up in and around the ear canal. The debris can be infected pus, blood, dark black or brown debris, yellow debris, tan colored wax, flakey skin, or a combination of these findings.
- Odor Infected ears often have a bad smell. Yeast is often the most common culprit with smelly ears, but a bad bacterial ear infection can stink too.
- Swelling When the ears are infected, they become inflamed which can lead to mild to severe swelling. In severe cases, the ear canal can swell to the point where the ear canal is closed. This can be extremely painful to the dog.
- Pain or sensitivity An ear infection can lead to painful or sensitive ears. You might notice that your dog avoids ear rubs or even head rubs and when you touch the ears they may flinch or whine.
What Are The Three Types Of Canine Ear Infections
According to the AKC, There are three kinds of ear infectionsotitis externa, media, and internalaffecting different parts of the canine ear. Otitis externa means that the inflammation affects the layer of cells lining the outer or external portion of the ear canal. Otitis media and interna refer to infections of the middle and inner ear canal, and they are most often are a result of the spread of infection from the external ear. These more advanced cases can be very serious, and could lead to deafness, facial paralysis, or signs of vestibular disease, such as head tilting, circling, and lack of coordination. That’s why it is important to prevent and seek early treatment for ear problems.
Besides the potential danger, you want your pup to feel better! Ear infections hurt. You know there are different types of ear infections and you know they’re usually caused by bacteria, so let’s look at the details.
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Golden Retriever Matted Ears / How To Detangle Matted Ear Fur
Like some other dog breeds, Golden Retrievers not only have a double coat but curly hair as well, especially around the ears. This means that matting is very common for Golden Retrievers if they are not groomed properly.
Golden Retrievers can develop matted ears from many causes. For example, if your pup tends to rub its head on the floor a lot, this will create friction and cause the hair to tangle and mat.
Matted hair can also be caused by not grooming your pup enough. If you see that their ears are getting matted quickly, you may want to consider brushing/grooming their ears more often.
Bathing your Golden Retriever regularly is also helpful in avoiding them getting mats in their fur. Golden Retriever owners tend to love using hypoallergenic shampoo since these pups are so prone to allergies!
Tip: If your pups ears are already matted, dont bathe them! First, brush the tangles and mats out, water could cause the matting to become worse dont ever try to cut the matted hair out.
There are some treatments available for a matted Golden Retrievers ear fur such as dog detangler which can be sprayed onto the fur to loosen mats or tangles as well as detangler shampoos and conditioners!
Here are some other at-home remedies that Golden Retriever owners have used to remove mats from their pups ear fur: