Dog Ear Infection or Mites?
Properly taking care of your Golden Retriever's ears will greatly reduce the chances of her getting an ear infection.
©Photo courtesy of Pawel Pieniazek Generally, ear infections are caused by moisture inside of the ears. Since Golden’s have long ears, air does not circulate well. Many people mistake the beginning signs of an ear infection for dog ear mites, as a few of the symptoms can mimic each other. However, contrary to popular belief, dog ear mites are not all that common. Cats are much more prone to ear mites than dogs. If your Golden is shaking her head, scratching her ears, or you can see an excessive amount of dark, brownish-black ear wax build up inside her ears, this can be the beginning symptoms of a dog ear infection. ©Photo Courtesy of Kevin Hooke and "Poppy"
It is these signs that people mistakenly believe to be signs of dog ear mites, and try to treat their Golden with an over the counter remedy while the ear infection grows more severe. Unless you are very knowledgeable in identifying ear mites, it would be best to take your Golden to the vet to verify whether she has mites, since ear infections are more often the problem. As a dog’s ear infection progresses, you may notice her holding her head tilted to one side. Her face and ear can swell. There usually will be an odor, but this is not always evident in the beginning stages.
©Photo Courtesy of Andrea Titterness As the infection continues to progress, the inside of her ear will turn a bright red, and you can actually feel the heat coming off of it. There may also be small blisters inside her ear. She may also get a yellowish-white, pus discharge. As this drains from her ear, her face will also become infected. You may be thinking that it takes awhile for the symptoms to reach this stage, but ear infections happen incredibly fast, and can go from not realizing she has one to being extremely severe within a day or two. ©Photo Courtesy of Ari Mattson Your Golden will usually need to have her fur shaved from her face and neck, along with antibiotics, and medicated ear drops. The good news is that she can make a full recovery from it, without there being any permanent damage to her hearing. Anytime your dog has ear problems, it is always best to be safe than sorry, and get her to a vet, rather than self diagnose on your own. Prevention is always the best rule of thumb. Cleaning your dog's ears on a regular basis is the best prevention. If you take your Golden Retriever for a swim, part of your dog's ear care should always include drying her ears thoroughly afterwards.
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