Ear infections and allergies

[Teddy]

Hello, today I took my 5 month old goldendoodle Teddy to the vet because I started seeing him scratch his ears and shake is head. His ears didn't look red inside and there was no odor but I still decided to take him in. Aside from a possible ear infection, I also suspected allergies because he's been biting and licking himself. So the vet took a look inside his ears and started cleaning some hair out so she could get a better look but after she cleaned them she said she still couldn't see anything because he has SO much hair and it's too deep to get out. I was wondering if any other Doodle had this problem? I asked the vet if this could eventually become an issue and her answer was yes if it's related to the allergies.

[Amy and Annabelle]

When I took Annabelle into her very first vet appt the vet told me that when I start having her groomed to have them pluck her ear hairs to keep them clean and not be prone to infection. He didn't say anything about the hair being too deep though. But I do have the groomer clean her ears up a bit when needed. She does have seasonal allergies. For her the dandelions after they have gone into puff ball stage is the worst if she is near them. She just sneezes and doesn't bite,or lick herself. This time of year I give her benedryl daily at the suggestion of her vet. It does seem to help. Last summer she was scratching herself and I think that also had to do with her allergies. I now bathe her with a special shampoo for itchy skin once or twice a week during allergy season. She is fine in the winter.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Poodles are notorious for having ear infections; in fact, chronic ear infections in dogs are called "Poodle ear". It is not necessarily related to allergies. It's due to the woolly hair inside the ear canal which traps moisture and waxy debris, and makes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. It's also dependent on the shape of the individual dog's ear canal, the thickness of the hair, and how deep it grows in there. Sounds like your pup has all the factors. It's really important to clean their ears every week with good ear cleaner that contains a drying agent, and to properly remove the hair from the ear canals regularly. With all due respect to your vet, this may be an ongoing problem regardless of whether or not she also has allergies. 

Some dogs have lots of trouble with chronic ear infections and do not have any allergies. Other dogs (including mine) have severe allergies and never get an ear infection. Five months is extremely young for a puppy to have already developed any type of allergy. 

Did your vet do a culture? Diagnosing an ear infection requires more than looking in the ear,. you need a culture. Did the vet give you any meds or ear cleaners?

[Amy and Annabelle]

Also if you think your dog might be one prone to ear infections, you might want to consider getting pet insurance before you get a diagnosis. Chronic ear infections aren't cheap. When you add up the the office visit, culture, meds and earwash, you are probably talking close to $200 or more for each visit depending on where you live. Pet insurance won't pay for pre existing conditions. So once your dog is diagnosed with an ear infection it becomes pre existing.

[Kamela & Beckett]

Our Beckett has a very curly, poodle-ly coat. I groom him, so I try to every couple days check his ears and pluck the hair out a little at a time. I've finally gotten them cleaned out pretty good. He's 11 months old and has had several ear infections (and has environmental allergies and possible food allergies). I sympathize with you. That's discouraging about Poodles and chronic ear infections. We have an ear cleaner from the vet and are supposed to clean his ears twice a week.