The Retriever Expert Expert Care Tips For Your Retriever
Aside from maintaining your Golden Retriever’s shiny coat, it’s also important to practice proper ear care. This breed’s affinity for swimming makes them prone to ear infections if not groomed well. At the forefront of dog ear hygiene is the best ear cleaner for Golden Retrievers. These products are formulated to lift deep-seated gunk while sanitizing your dog’s lughole.
Below, I reviewed four of the best ear cleaners that you can use for your Goldie:
EAR CLEANER | BRAND | EXPERT RATING | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Our Top Pick! MISTER BEN’S Original Dog Ear Cleaner Kit |  | |
 | Vet Organics EcoEars Dog Ear Cleaner | | |
 | Pet King Zymox Ear Solution & Cleanser | | |
 | Truseb Antiseptic Ear Flush for Pets |  | |
 | Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Pet Ear Cleaner |  |
Reasons why cleaning your dog’s ears is important
Can you imagine yourself not cleaning your ear for months? If not, then neither should your dog! Regular ear cleaning is important for canines for the same reasons it’s necessary for humans.
Due to their flappy ears, Golden Retrievers are prone to nasty ear infections. Their ears can harbor lots of dirt, which becomes an ideal place for pathogens to thrive. Regular ear cleaning can easily prevent this from happening.
Remember that when there’s dirt, there would be a bad smell. If your Golden Retriever still smells bad after bathing, it might be due for ear cleaning.
For this part, you need to use the right ear cleaner that suits your dog. There are dozens of options in the market with varying ingredients. You have to make sure that it’s safe for your Goldie, especially if it has sensitive ears.
If you’re looking for safe and effective ear cleaners, my five picks below are up for your consideration.
Best Ear Cleaner For Golden Retrievers – Top 5 Picks!
OUR #1 CHOICE
OUR TOP PICK: MISTER BEN’S Original Dog Ear Cleaner Kit
Product Name: MISTER BEN’S Original Dog Ear Cleaner Kit
Product Description: For me, the best ear cleaner for Golden Retrievers is this kit from MISTER BEN’S. It’s composed of an ear tonic, ear wash, and ear wipes. It’s a grooming kit that will help keep your dog’s ears clean and healthy. This kit uses six active ingredients to arrest infections and bad odor. It’s effective in clearing up ear mites, fungus, yeast, and bacteria on a dog’s ear. It also works on all dog breeds, not just Golden Retrievers. Moreover, all three products in this kit contain 100% cold-pressed organic aloe that will soothe redness and inflammation. It also works as an antibacterial and antifungal agent for added cleaning benefit.
Offer price: $$$
Availability: InStock
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Ingredients
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Odor
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Efficacy
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Value for Money
Overall
Summary
Aside from aloe, this ear cleaning kit is packed with marshmallow root, ginkgo, Oregon grapefruit, mullein, spearmint, and turmeric extracts. It’s certified natural, so there will be little to zero side effects.
Whether your Golden Retriever has an ear infection or not, this ear cleaning kit can be used long-term. Your dog will have now have odor-free, infection-free, and clear ears.
The best part is MISTER BEN’S 100% effectiveness guarantee. If you don’t see any improvement on your dog’s ears within a week, you can return the kit to get a full refund.
Pros
Made of natural ingredients
Gentle on the ears, tough on infections
100% refund guarantee
Cons
The spearmint odor is a bit strong, but it doesn’t irritate my dog, anyway.
RUNNERS-UP
Vet Organics EcoEars Dog Ear Cleaner
Another ear cleaner you can get for your Goldie is the Vet Organics EcoEars. This ear cleaner can help treat infections in 7 to 10 days with regular use.
It’s made of all-natural ingredients without solvents, antibiotics, or hydrocortisone. This makes it a good choice for Golden Retrievers with notoriously sensitive ears.
Instead, it has organic mullein leaf, tea tree, rosemary, and fingerroot extracts. It also has a safe amount of boric acid, an effective cleaning agent. The ingredients are minimal to prevent irritation on your dog’s ears.
Moreover, this ear cleaner is FDA-registered for your peace of mind. Many veterinarians also recommend this to solve a slew of ear problems in dogs. It can also help flush stuck debris, wax crust, and biofilms.
Vet Organics also offers a 100% no-hassle refund guarantee if you’re not happy with the results. They have excellent customer service, which responds fast to queries.
Overall, this helped stopped the infection in one of my Golden Retrievers. He no longer scratches his head to the point of bleeding. I also like how affordable it is, considering that the package comes with two bottles of 237 ml ear cleaner.
Pet King Zymox Ear Solution & Cleanser
Is your Golden Retriever suffering from chronic otitis? If so, you should consider the Pet King Zymox Ear Solution & Cleanser. The package includes one bottle of ear cleanser and one bottle of ear solution with 0.5% hydrocortisone.
The 4 fl. oz. Zymox ear cleanser has bio-active enzymes that control microbe activity. It’s also blended with cleaning surfactants that will keep your Goldie’s ear fresh. You don’t have to worry because this is free of any harsh chemicals, so it’s suitable even for sensitive ears.
On the other hand, the 1.25 fl. oz. ear solution is mixed with hydrocortisone for itch relief and reducing inflammation. It also works well in removing ear discharge and for dogs that love swimming.
Aside from that, this ear cleaning combo is soothing, non-toxic, and antibiotic-free. You can also apply this once daily for dogs with ear problems. Also, there’s no need for pre-cleaning of the ear, so it’s convenient to apply.
Overall, this cleaner leaves the dog’s ears fresh and clean. This is broad-spectrum proven to work on a range of microbes like Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas Malassezia, and E. coli.
Many veterinarians recommend this ear cleaner for good reasons. It works without the adverse side effects.
Truseb Antiseptic Ear Flush for Pets
Truseb is a veterinarian-trusted ear cleaner for both dogs and cats. This ear flush contains 0.1% Ketoconazole, an active agent that helps treat various skin infections. It has a broad-spectrum formula that will help clear up redness, smelly ear, discharge, head shaking, and more.
Aside from that, this ear flush helps dry up wounds, so your dog won’t acquire another infection. This formula promises results in just 2 to 3 days of regular application. And in 7 to 10 days, your dog’s ears will back to their healthy state.
You can apply this solution twice daily for advanced ear infections. However, you shouldn’t allow your dog to lick or paw the treated ear, so consider using a cone until the infection has subsided.
The Truseb Antiseptic Ear Flush for Pets is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-yeast. It’s also produced in an NASC-inspected laboratory in the U.S. to guarantee its safety on pets’ skin.
However, since this ear flush has an active chemical, I suggest consulting your Goldie’s vet before using it. The veterinarian can also advise about the frequency of application based on the extent of the infection.
For this low price, you’ll receive two bottles of 12 fl. oz. ear flush. It’s already a steal, especially if you have multiple Golden Retrievers in the house.
Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Pet Ear Cleaner
My last pick for this roundup is the Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Pet Ear Cleaner. This has a low pH, and it doesn’t contain harsh alcohols or chlorhexidine. It’s well-tolerated among Golden Retrievers, even on puppies.
The Virbac Epi-Otic neutralizes the bad odor and infections on your dog’s ears. It has a cleansing action that helps remove crusty wax and deep-seated dirt. This is also an excellent flush solution to get rid of ear discharge.
Moreover, this has a keratolytic formula that removes debris and dead skin cells on your dog’s ears. It’s non-irritating, so you can use it even if your dog has sensitive skin.
I also like that this cleanser doesn’t interfere with other ear medications you’re giving your dog. It also gets ‘sudsy,’ which adds a cleaning effect on a very dirty dog ear. Veterinarians and thousands of dog owners will agree that this is probably the best ear cleaner for Golden Retriever.
Overall, this is very effective with a mild scent. It cleanses deeply so that it might be a good choice for dogs suffering from otitis interna.
How to clean your Golden Retriever’s ear
It’s not enough that you have the right ear cleaner for your dog. You should also know how to apply it properly to get the best results. Here’s a quick rundown of the steps:
Step 1. Consider trimming the dog’s ear hair
Golden Retrievers tend to have long fur near the ears. It’s best to give it a good trim first, so it won’t get in the way of applying the ear cleaner. Be careful and always wait until your dog calms down before holding the scissors.
Step 2. Get your dog calm and settled
Next, you need to make your Goldie calm before applying the ear cleaner. A short walk or a vigorous playtime session will help tone down the dog’s excess energy. If trained at an early age, most Golden Retrievers will not mind having their ears touched.
Also, the dog should be in a sitting position between your legs. This will give you more control during the ear cleaning session. Some pet owners would ask their dogs to sit in the corner of the room to prevent distractions.
Step 3. Grasp one ear flap upward
Once your dog is settled, hold one ear flap up, so you’ll have a good look at the ear canal. Don’t pinch it or hold it too tight. You wouldn’t want to associate ear cleaning with a painful experience.
Step 4. Squeeze some cleaner into the ear canal
Next, point the tip of the ear cleaner bottle toward the ear canal. Don’t let the tip touch your dog’s ear, as it will get smudged with dirt. Two to three squirts would be enough.
Step 5. Gently massage the base of the dog’s ear
Right after applying the ear cleaner solution, massage the base of your dog’s ear while still holding the flap up. Be gentle and make sure your fingernails aren’t digging on the dog’s skin.
Step 6. Wipe away the debris
After 10 to 15 seconds, get a clean paper towel and wipe off the excess solution and debris. You can also use cotton balls, but make sure that they won’t get stuck inside your dog’s ear canal. Also, NEVER use Q-tips as this will only push the dirt further into your dog’s ear.
Step 7. Let the dog shake its head
Once you’re done wiping, let go of your dog and let it shake its head. By shaking its head, the dog can naturally spread the solution. Just watch out because some of the solutions will splatter all over. I suggest applying the ear cleaner in the bathroom or an outdoor area.
Step 8. Finish with another wipe to remove the remaining solution
Lastly, give your dog’s ear one last wipe. This will remove any remaining solution and dirt that got dislodged when your dog shook its head. After that, you’re all done, and you can let go of your dog.
Depending on the formula you got and the extent of the ear infection, you may need to apply it once a day. For maintenance, once a week is the usual practice, but I suggest talking to your dog’s veterinarian to be sure.
Final words
Is your dog suffering from a nasty ear infection? If so, the best ear cleaner for Golden Retrievers will be a big help. It’s formulated to neutralize infection, bad odor, and itchiness. You just have to apply it properly, so your dog will reap the most benefits.
What do you think of these ear cleaners? Have you tried using any of it on your Goldie? Let us know below!
