Does your Goldendoodle have an ear infection?

Does your Goldendoodle have an ear infection?

The Goldendoodle is a wonderful, low shedding, low dander hybrid who is terrific with children of all ages. They do, however, have their issues. With all that cuteness comes the long, low hanging ears with lots of hairs covering them. Because the hairs are long and thick surrounding the ears, infections can occur.

Since 1999, we have come to know that the Goldendoodle hybrid comes in three coat types:

Shaggy. Curly. Smooth.

Among the three coat types of the Goldendoodle dog, the curly coat doodle seems to have more issues with their ears. The simple reason? Hair growing deep within the ear canal traps moisture and can cause bacteria to grow. Most Goldendoodles also enjoy swimming. Whether at the lake, swimming pool or the beach, water can become your Goldendoodle's enemy. The design of the ear itself, for the Goldendoodle dog, can be one of the problems they suffer these issues.

The fact that the Goldendoodle has multiple hairs covering the ear flap, is the perfect environment for creating ear infections! Bacteria thrives on moisture, especially in warm, dark, enclosed areas. Bacterial ear infections can cause your Goldendoodle tremendous pain and suffering.

Because the Goldendoodle has such thick, long, hairs over the tops of the ears, the ear itself has a difficult time drying out. It doesn't help matters much if hairs are also growing from deep within the ear canal. The curly coat Goldendoodle seems to have more issues with hairs growing deep within the ear, which is very similar to the Poodle. The shaggy coat and the smooth coat Goldendoodle do not seem to have these issues, although they can still suffer from ear infections should moisture build up or a yeast infection occur. Another reason Goldendoodles can have ear infections is due to what is called, "ear mites". These are pesky little bugs that leave brown matter within your doodle's ears and can leave a very foul smell. Although ear mites can easily be killed with medicated drops, you will want your vet to ensure this is what is causing the problem before treating.

If we look at the design of the canine ear itself, you will see that the canal begins right at the opening of the Goldendoodle's ear and there is almost an immediate drop followed by a slight angle going straight down to the ear drum itself. It doesn't take much for moisture to build up within the ear.

What are the signs that your Goldendoodle may have an ear infection?

Your Goldendoodle may paw at his or her ears or shake their head quite a bit. Ear infections are very painful. You may notice that your Goldendoodle is rubbing his head against objects trying to relieve the pain. While your Goldendoodle is unable to directly speak to you, their body lanquage is letting you know something is wrong.

It is also possible to mistake an ear infection for a tooth problem! I once thought one of my dogs had an ear infection but after taking her to the vet, it was discovered that she needed a tooth to be pulled. So its very important to take your lovely hybrid to see your vet if you are witnessing the signs above. Your canine can lose its hearing if an ear infection is left untreated. The ears can become red and swollen. Skin infections can occur from constant scratching.
Sometimes your doodle may tilt his or her head to one side as well. Yeast infections can occur for multiple reasons. Dogs who do a lot of swimming at the lake can suffer from yeast infections within their ears because there is a lot of bacteria within the water itself. Yeast infections can be controlled with medicated ear drops provided to you by your vet.

If you notice any of the signs mentioned above going on with your Goldendoodle, please make sure to schedule a vet visit. Immediate treatment will prevent a simple problem from becoming worse.

*About the author: Dee Gerrish founded Goldendoodle World in 1999. She has written extensively about the Goldendoodle dog through various blogs and articles. Dee is a private, professional, hobby breeder and began with purebred Golden Retrievers in 1996. Dee Gerrish is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle dog in the southern region of the United States. Dee was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle dog with a ligit kennel club, Universal Kennel International.