Golden Retriever’s floppy ears are prone to infections. By doing regular ear check-ups and cleaning you can maintain healthy ears, free of uncomfortable infections. You should check your Golden’s ears once a week, and don’t wait until your dog is scratching at his ear to check it, by then you are probably too late.

Ear infections are most often caused by water getting trapped in the ear canal. The damp environment is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungus, often leading to painful sensitivity, redness, swelling and infection. Another issue you have to watch for is ear mites. Ear mites can be present in ear wax. Dogs with ear mites often shake their heads and scratch their ears. If you see ear mites in your dogs’ ear wax it is recommended he see the vet for medication to treat this spreading and contagious problem.

It is important to inspect you dog’s ears for potential problems before proceeding with ear cleaning. There are some common problems to note when checking your dog’s ears:

• Are your dog’s ears sensitive to touch?
• Does your dog shake his head or excessively scratch his ears?
• Do you notice an discharge or strong odors in his ears?
• Are there any blisters on the ear flap?
• Do you notice any swelling, skin redness or bumps?

Should you discover a serious ear problem you may choose to gently clean the exterior area of the ear of dirt, wax and other matter, and contact then seek veterinary care.

Suggested Cleaning Supplies

• Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution for Dogs & Cats. This solution is available at your vet’s office and is formulated to deodorize, clean, dry and acidify the ear canal.
• Cotton balls

It is not recommended to use Q-tips or alcohol in your dog’s ears.

Time to Clean Out Those Ears 

1. Lift the dog’s ear flap and expose the inside flap the ear facing you and push aside any hair around the ear canal.

2. Squirt a small amount of the ear cleaning solution on the cotton ball and rub in your dog’s ear. Get ready, he may really like this! 

3. Depending on the dirt in you Golden’s ears, you may have to repeat step 2 a couple of times with a few cotton balls.

4. Once you are done cleaning, go ahead and take a dry cotton ball and rub in your dog’s ear to remove any excess moisture.

Do not use water in the cleaning process and avoid using excess ear cleaning solution. Also, do not syringe pet ears; it is a veterinary procedure only.