[BJSalz]

I took Ryder to the vet this weekend because he kept shaking his head and itching his right ear. I took a flash light but didn't see anything. The vet looked, his ears are clean but had alittle redness. I asked if there was any way to prevent it, she said no. I have a cleaning rinse and ear medicine to give him.

Later that day I was talking with a woman at my bank. She said that her dog (not a golden) is prone to ear issues and always on ear medicine; even loosing it's hearing.

Question; are goldens prone to ear problems?

PS: He was weighed at the vet and he is 57lbs! He is just over 5 months old and the vet said that he is going to grow alot more. I questioned if he was too big; she said he looks great.

 

[glddog04]

Yup afraid so. Ear problems are common in goldens, partly the floppy ear, partly (JMO) the breed seems to have a tendency to allergy problems. Keep an eye on the ear for redness , discharge or increased discomfort. A remote possibility would be inner ear infection I had one that exhibited no symtoms other than a slight stagger when she moved.

Use a good ear cleaner, from vet is fine, one thats not too harsh. I only clean ears when they look dirty, I check ears once a week. I keep the hair around and in the ear canal trimmed to promote good air flow.

Its possible it is just hair , insect or plant matter...you never know!

If there is any change , see your vet again!

glddog04

 

[momtoMax]

Max might be a bit bigger than Ryder. I so need to figure out how to have him weighed! Maybe Ryders dad was really big.

As for ear, all floppy eared dogs have problems so if I were you, I'd by doggy ear wipes and use them often!! It helps a lot!

 

[BJSalz]

His ears are super clean and when I used a flashlight I didn't see a thing (not even redness). The vet used q-tips to get a swab for lab and nothing came out on them; she said they're really clean. She did confirm that lab said there was alittle bacteria. She also said that it is always a good idea to use an ear wash a couple times a month.

I was playing with him with the hose last week. I don't know if maybe water got in his ear but I'll be more careful.

I mentioned this somewhere else too...
While we were at the vet, there was a lab that was sick. The lab threw up in the waiting room and in the throw up there were 2 socks. The owner didn't even know the dog ate them. Just an warning about socks.

 

[glddog04]

Water in his ear could cause him to scratch! No help for it really...goldens and water!
It sounds like your a great Mom! No worries!
glddog04

 

[BJSalz]

Water in his ear could cause him to scratch! No help for it really...goldens and water!
It sounds like your a great Mom! No worries!
glddog04

Thanks for the compliment. I never knew I'd fall so hard for this pup!

 

[tippykayak]

Rinsing with an ear solution a couple of times a month is smart, even in a dog who isn't prone to ear problems. Make sure you get plenty of solution into the ear and massage the base of it so it gets worked through the whole channel. Swab up the excess moisture and any visible garbage with a cotton ball (not a Q-tip!).

A little bacteria and irritation deep in the ear could cause discomfort and might just be cleared up with a regular rinse.

Ear problems are often tied to allergy or thyroid issues. Excess gunk and therefore infections can be caused by either allergies or out of whack thyroid values. People tend to blame grains in these situations, but the main protein source (e.g., chicken) is a more likely culprit.