Most dog owners are aware of their dog’s maintenance and grooming needs. However, more often than not, the owners skip the care regarding the ears. Even when the owners know this need, many don’t know how to go about it.
The ear care should include regular washing and avoiding any moisture that can get into your Goldendoodle’s ears. This should also include taking care of the hairs inside the ears.
There are many ways the owner can go about this task. If you would like to do this on your own, this article will run you through some things you need to look out for and explain how to perform this part of regular dog maintenance without harming your dog. It will also discuss some health problems your dog can encounter if you don’t take proper care of your dog.
Why is it important to take care of your Goldendoodles ears?
Taking care of your dog’s ears should be a fundamental part of your grooming routine. Most dog groomers’ offer this service, but you can just as easily do it yourself at home, as long as you educate yourself on how to do this safely.
The process of cleaning the ears doesn’t take much time and is not tasking. However, it is important to make it a regular part of your grooming routine. When this step isn’t performed regularly, it may lead to several health conditions that can only be fixed with surgical procedures.
Dogs are so prone to ear problems has to do with the way their ears are built. Anatomically, dog ears are twisty and curvy, making it extremely easy to get complications because it is easy for parasites to latch onto the inside of the ears. This is even more prominent in dog breeds like Goldendoodles which have floppy ears. This may include different parasites and bacteria. Debris can also get stuck easier, which can also cause infections or irritation. These irritations can also occur due to frequent baths if you are not making sure the water doesn’t get into the dog’s ears.
If your dog has contracted any ear problem, there are a few general symptoms you should look out for. These symptoms are discharge, bad smell, redness, swelling, crusty skin, and hair loss.
How to clean your Goldendoodle’s ears?
It would be best if you cleaned your Goldendoodle’s ears when grooming the dog. The best time to start this is in the early stages of your Goldendoodles life to make sure your dog is used to this process and, in the future, expects it during the grooming process. However, many different factors affect how often you should clean their ears, ranging from the type of ears themselves to the environment your dog lives in. Too frequent washing can irritate, so if you want to be sure, you are not overdoing it consult your veterinarian or your groomer as they will give you the most accurate schedule.
It would be best if you didn’t clean your Goldendoodle’s ears while bathing them. It’s recommended that you make sure none of the water gets inside the dog’s ear during the bath. This can be achieved by gently placing a cotton ball inside the ear. The cotton balls should be as soon as the bath is over. After you remove cotton balls, lightly dry the ears with a towel.
Just like with people, you shouldn’t use q-tips to clean the inside of the dog’s ears. This can push earwax, dirt, and debris deeper into the ear, which can cause irritation and infections. In more severe cases, the q-tip can damage the ear canal and the eardrums. What you should use is cotton balls or gauzes, cleaning solutions, and towels. You should probably do this in a bathroom because the room will get messy if your dog shakes the water from its fur.
There is a wide range of cleaning solutions for the dog ears you can use. To make sure you are using the proper one for your dog, consult your veterinarian. To make sure you don’t injure your dog, follow the instructions on the solution you get. The general rule is to use the solution by putting a few drops inside the ear or slipping a soaked cotton ball inside the ear. After that, let the solution work for the recommended amount of time. After the recommended time has passed, dry the ears and let the dog shakes any excess water on the fur. If your Goldendoodle is not fond of this process and doesn’t stay still while you are cleaning the ears, you may consider one of the different brands of ear wipes.
Should you remove the hair from your Goldendoodles ears?
Removing your dog’s ear hair is recommended as it helps to keep your dog’s ears healthy. This will make sure the dog’s ear hair doesn’t get tangled and matted, which would make it easier for different organisms to stay inside the ear. Clipped hair also aids with keeping moisture out of the ears, which can also, over time, cause infection. There are a few different ways you can go about it. You can clip, cut, or even pluck the hairs altogether. If you are going to do this on your own, the better approach would be cutting and clipping because the dog ears are very sensitive, and if not done correctly, you could cause discomfort or even harm your dog.
However, if you wish to pluck your dog’s ear hair on your own, you can make sure to watch out for any signs of discomfort from your dog. You can use a hemostat or your fingers to remove the hairs. The difference between these tools is that you can pluck more hairs at once when using your fingers. Another thing that helps you pluck its ear hair is ear plucking powder or even baking soda. This will make your grip on the hair better, thus making plucking easier and less discomfort for your dog.
If you choose to clip or cut the hair, make sure you are using the proper tools. The shears need to be short enough not to hurt your dog’s ear, and clippers need to be small enough to fit inside the ear.
Anti-fungus washing
Antifungal washing is a treatment recommended if your Goldendoodle has contracted a yeast infection on the skin. This condition occurs because of the excess of oils the oil on the skin, which attracts bacteria and similar organisms. The organisms that latch onto the skin will cause the infection. The condition will usually transpire when your dog’s immune system is suppressed. This condition can be avoided with regular check-ups with the vet.
There are a few different ways this can be diagnosed. The most common way this is achieved is through skin scraping tests. The veterinarian will remove a part of the yeast organisms with a blad to test it and determine the most efficient treatment. Impression smears are used for dogs with sensitive skin. It includes using a microscope on the surface of the skin and examining the organisms. Cotton swab samples involve using a moistened swab to collect yeast organisms. A similar method is acetate tape preparations which work by using clear tape to collect yeast organisms. If the vet suspects it could be a yeast infection but is unsure, the vet will most likely do a skin biopsy. This is done by obtaining a small piece of skin. This is the most invasive test but will provide complete diagnostic information.
The most effective treatment for yeast infection is anti-fungal washing. There are many different shampoos, and to make the best choice for your dog, consult your veterinarian. Your vet will determine the most suitable one based on the ingredients in every individual shampoo. The components of the shampoo work to remove the cause of the infection and soothe other symptoms like itching and irritation. The use involves washing your dog as normal and then leaving the shampoo to work for a recommended amount of time. After this, you should wash the shampoo away and repeat it regularly until the infection is gone. This will also get rid of the bad smell that shows up as a secondary symptom of infection.
