Caring for your Labradoodles ears
Labradoodle health concerns!
Australian Labradoodle / Cobberdog Health Information
Australian Labradoodle health is very important to us! We love this breed and want only the best for them. We have been breeding these amazing companion Labradoodles since 2009. They are such a wonderful, healthy breed compared to many breeds available.
What are the most common Australian Labradoodle health problems that affect this breed?
Do I need to worry about spending thousands of dollars at the vets to keep my Australian Labradoodle / Cobberdog healthy?
Are these wonderful dogs known to have any hereditary health issues?
One of the most common Australian Labradoodle health issues that follow the breed are ear infections! You can find information on how to avoid ear infections below.
Hip and elbow dysplasia are a possibility. Patellas have been a more common concern than Hip issues.We have had all of our breeding Australian Labradoodles tested for this and we do not breed any dog that scores below a good. The breed has been so free of Hip and Elbow issues that we are not required to do the testing by our registry. Arrowhead chooses to still test at this point. Australian Labradoodles are very light on their feet, prancing instead of lumbering like some of the heavier breeds. Being light-framed, causes less strain on the joint and thus less likelihood of a displasia problem! For our Labradoodle puppies going home and even for other older dogs we highly recommend the Nuvet Plus companies Supplement, this builds healthy bones and joints as well as immunity going home. They also carry a joint supplement to give extra support to your favourite Dood, if you feel like he is aging and could use support or have had a leg injury. Order these products from Arrowheads gift shop or directly from the company, NuVet Plus on line with the order code 58735
Caring for the Ear
One of the main health struggles for a Labradoodle are it’s ears. Labradoodle ears hang close to the side of their head, causing less air to be able to flow into the ear. This let’s moisture sit in the ear and it can cause a bad smell as well as infections.
Australian Labradoodles have lots of beautiful curls! Taken care of and groomed properly this is a beautiful and soft to snuggle companion. There is one concern that goes along with all of this beautiful fleece, those beautiful locks also grow in the Labradoodle ears canals and there is where the problem lies. If not taken care of properly this will lead to discomfort in the ear and if left long enough will cause a raging, painful infection for your Australian Labradoodle. Lets talk about how to avoid this unfortunate situation!
It is very important that you have your groomer or vet pluck the extra hair in the ear canal. With this extra hair gone more air can flow into the Labradoodle ears, air movement and circulation is pivotal to healthy ears! You can also do this task at home if you are comfortable with it, most dogs while not real excited about it allow you to pluck the ear without to much complaining as they seem to know that after it is over they will feel much better! It is a similar feeling to plucking the eyebrows. A bit uncomfortable but not a huge deal, for most Australian Labradoodles. You need to pluck enough hair to be able to see into the canal clearly
Next step is cleaning the Labradoodle ears. There are lots of ear cleaners available. The one we recommend is NuVet ear cleaner and therapeutic treatment drops. Ordered either from our gift shop or directly from NuVet Plus. The ear cleaner from this company has cleared up many stubborn ear infections. Order code is 58735 if ordering direct. When cleaning the ear canal of a Australian Labradoodle you need to be confident that you will not hurt your dog’s ear. A dog’s ear canal is shaped like an L the sensitive no touch parts are at the far end of the L, this means that you cannot hurt your Labradoodles hearing or ear by cleaning the part you can see. Start by lifting the ear and folding it up over your Australian Labradoodles head, this gives you the best visual of what you are doing. If you are using wipes go ahead and start wiping the ear. If you are using the recommended ear cleaner drops method you will need some cotton balls on hand. Take a cotton ball and wet it with the ear drops, wipe the ear canal all the way around and also on the ear leather. If there is dirt on the cotton get another and repeat the process. Continue to wipe and clean till the cotton is clean after a wipe.
This process needs to be repeated daily for some dogs and for sure daily if your dog is struggling with an ear infection. Australian Labradoodle ears all have a different level of discharge, some need a clean every day some are good for a clean once a week. Getting to know your Australian Labradoodles ears is the only way to stay on top of the infections!
A great way to make this experience enjoyable and less stressful for your Australian Labradoodle is to play with his/her ears in a loving and natural way daily so that they do not associate all ear play with the ear clean. Also lots of praise for good behaviour and a treat or two is in order! If the person doing the clean is relaxed the whole process will be easier on both you and your dog.
Get into the habit of checking your Doodle’s ears regularly for cleanliness and health. If an infection is brewing your first clues will be a nasty smell coming from your Australian Labradoodles ear, your Labradoodle will also be shaking his/her head and be scratching the ear a lot more than is normal. Also if your Labradoodle is yelping a bit when you rub around his/her ears this is another good indication that you are working with an infection.
If you have cleaned your Labradoodles ears daily and they are nice and they are still getting infected or there is an infection that will just not leave, you need to consider the food that you Labradoodle is eating. If your Labradoodle has an allergy sometimes the way it expresses itself is thru an ear infection. A change of diet is necessary! A completely different source of protein is needed and cut all sugars and carb from your Labradoodles diet. The yeast in the infection thrives and grows on any and all sugars. Raw feeding may be the easiest and fastest way to rid yourselves of the unwanted ear infection.
Healthy ears are a great start to a Labradoodle who is comfortable and friendly at all times.