Keeping up with a Goldendoodle’s coat is very high maintenance. But while we are all concerned about the Doodle’s hair, another area gets neglected. Today, we are going to tell you how to clean Goldendoodles ears.
Did you know that most Goldendoodles are prone to ear infections? The ears of your Doodle are probably one of the most neglected parts of their body.
Why You Should Be Cleaning Your Goldendoodle’s Ears
You might be wondering if cleaning your Doodle’s ears is that important. After all, they get a bath every 6-8 weeks at the groomer. Shouldn’t that be enough? Well, we are here to tell you it isn’t.
Floppy eared dogs are more prone to ear infections. They hold dirt, wax, and water that cause bacteria and yeast growth. If you notice your dog shaking their heads a lot, they might have an ear infection or mites. But to prevent this from happening at all, we clean our Goldendoodle’s ears.
How Often Should I Clean My Dog’s Ears?
Every dog should have their ears cleaned at least once a month. Goldendoodle ear grooming keeps the wax from building up and prevents infections. But there are occasions when your dog might need more cleaning than this.
For instance, if your dog has been swimming a lot, they will need cleaning. Cleaning with a solution will prevent your Goldendoodle from getting swimmer’s ear. And if your dog is prone to yeast or ear infections, your vet might prescribe a cleaner to use frequently.
But you shouldn’t clean a Goldendoodle’s ears more often than every three weeks. Your Goldendoodle’s ears are a sensitive area and can dry out with over-cleansing. You also don’t want to clean ears that are irritated and infected to prevent swelling.
How Often Should I Clean My Goldendoodles Ears?
Cleaning your Goldendoodle’s ears once a month is a good thing to put on your calendar. But you might need more than that depending on your dog’s daily activity. So how can you tell it’s time? Here are a few signs:
- Your dog’s ears start to stink, not like yeast or an infection but like wax and dirt.
- Visible dirt in the ears.
- Visible drainage around the ears.
- If you notice your dog rubbing his ears a lot.
Signs Of Infection
Trying to clean Goldendoodles ears that are infected could cause more issues. Too many cleaners can irritate the ear canal and worsen the condition. But how do you know if your Goldendoodle has an ear infection?
Here are a few signs of ear infections in dogs:
- Pawing at ears
- Yeasty smell
- Redness and swelling
- Goldendoodle hot ears can be a sign of infection or fever.
- Scratching
If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take your Doodle to the vet immediately. Antibiotics and prescription ear drops will clear an ear infection right up.
Best Cleaning Solutions
Before you get started, it’s essential to know what cleaner is best. And with so many cleaners on the market, it’s hard to choose. Below we have some of our favorite ear cleaners. We also added a few DIY versions to save you a couple of dollars.
Vet’s Best Dog Ear Cleaner Kit
Our top choice for Goldendoodle ear cleaner is the Vet’s Best Dog Cleaner Kit. We love this cleaner because it has no harsh chemicals, no drying ingredients, and natural healing properties. Another great feature of this product is that it has a dry powder as well. You can use this to clean up irritated ears that drain without over-cleaning them.
Pet MD Dog Ear Cleaner Wipes
We all know that dogs can be a little crazy when cleaning their ears. For that reason, we suggest Pet MD Dog Ear Cleaner Wipes. These wipes are easy to use and won’t freak out your dog. With the healing benefits of aloe, your dog will be thanking you later.
Mighty Petz 4-in-1 Dog Ear Cleaner
For Goldendoodles with itchy ears, you need the Mighty Petz 4-in-1 Dog Ear Cleaner. This cleaner is gentle and reduces inflammation. If your Goldendoodle needs their ears cleaned more often, this is the perfect solution for you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
If you want a DIY ear cleaner, apple cider vinegar is the best tool here. You can mix 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar into 2/3 cups room temperature water. After mixing, you can transfer the solution to a condiment bottle for easy use. This homemade ear cleaner is gentle on your dog’s skin and tough on wax. And since it’s a natural deodorizer, you won’t have to worry about smelly ears again.
Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone
For the Goldendoodle that loves swimming and is prone to infections, you need Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment. Zymox works by using an enzyme proven to relieve inflammation and works as an antibiotic. If your dog is going through a period of itchy dry ears, this solution will heal them quickly.
Warm Water
And of course, you don’t have to buy anything fancy. If you keep up with cleaning your dog’s ears, you won’t need a cleaner. Simple warm water will keep your Goldendoodle’s ears wax and dirt free.
What Cleaners Shouldn’t Be Used?
There are lots of DIY dog ear cleaning solution online. But some of these homemade solutions have ingredients that shouldn’t go in an ear. Two big ones that are popular in the DIY world are peroxide and rubbing alcohol.
Both of these ingredients are irritating and drying to your dog. If used in excess, your dog can develop ear infections.
How To Clean Goldendoodles Ears
Now that you have a dog ear cleaning solution, we can talk about how to clean dog ears. These directions are pretty straight forward and won’t take any time at all.
Tools:
- Cleaning solution
- Cotton balls or pads
- Towel
Step One: After gathering all your tools, you will need to find a Goldendoodle cleaning area. Most people find that the bathtub is easy to clean, or going outside is best. In step three, you will see why this is important.
Step Two: Lift your Goldendoodle’s ear from the base to expose the inside. Then squirt a small amount of cleaning solution into the ear canal. Quickly let your dog’s ear down and rub it from the outside. Your Goldendoodle won’t like this feeling, so you will have to act fast. You know that you have enough cleaning solution when you feel a squashing sound while rubbing the ear.
Step Three: Now that you have rubbed the ear, let go of your dog. Your Goldendoodle will shake his head and might even paw at them. This is totally normal and essential to the process, but you might get wet. Your dog doesn’t like the feel and is shaking the solution out. The cleaner won’t all come out, and instead, evenly distribute throughout the ear.
Step Four: Now that your Goldendoodle has shaken his head for a few minutes, it’s time to clean. The solution makes wax and dirt easy to lift so that this part will go by quickly. All you need to do is take a cotton ball or pad and gently wipe the inside of the ear canal. You don’t want to go too deep and should only wipe the visible areas.
Step Five: If the ears are filthy, you can repeat steps two through four. Otherwise, you can move on to step six.
Step Six: Once your Goldendoodle’s ears are clean; you can clean up all extra moisture with a towel. And don’t forget to give your Doodle a treat for being such a good boy! Ear cleaning isn’t a fantastic feeling, and they deserve it. And that’s how to clean Goldendoodle ears!
Tips For Keeping Your Dog Still
Not every dog takes well to ear cleaning. So you might need some help cleaning your Labradoodle smelly ears. For that, you can either use a friend or family member to help hold your dog. Or you can try a few products to distract.
One thing we love is the Zacro Dog Lick Mat Bath. You can suction this mat to the side of the tub to distract your Goldendoodle if you have no help. This mat is great for peanut butter, yogurt, or the Kong Easy Treats. Just set your dog up for a delicious treat, and clean your dog’s ears without a problem.
What About Goldendoodle Ear Hair?
It used to be standard practice for groomers to pluck the ear hair of dogs. The reasoning behind this was too much hair could hold moisture and cause infections. The process is done by cleaning the ear and then gently pulling the hair out with tweezers. But in recent years, this theory has been debunked.
Plucking your Goldendoodle’s ear hair causes microtears and inflammation. And if not done with extreme care, you could cause painful ingrown hairs as well. The only reason your dog should have their ear hair plucked is if recommended by a vet.
And It’s Easy As That!
We hope you learned a lot about how to clean Goldendoodles ears. And not you can clean them with confidence and ease.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Doodle Board!
