We have always had labs and have always had ear issues. Currently, my older lab is on a lifetime rx of Zymox drips in his affected ear - Wednesdays and Sundays.

I think you may be cleaning them too often as well.

We had lots of yeast infections in the ear treated before our vet recommended the lifelong Zymox.

I think that vets are making money off of selling dog food and that would not be what I would do to solve the ear problem. I've watched too many friends and family go through countless types of $$$$$$ food only to never find one that solved the problem.

While, I do think it is a "lab" thing, I would love to hear others' suggestions

I wouldn't feed them Science Diet - that stuff is really no better than any grocery store brand if you look at the ingredients.

My dog had yeasty ears until I switched his food to Natural Balance. I do think most ear issues are food/allergy related. I've also used the Zymox drops and they do work well.

I agree - skip the Science Diet. However, in addition to no corn in the food, you might want to try a no grain food. I have my Golden on Wellness Core (not the regular Wellness line), and there are other no-grain dog foods.

My dog gets ear infections occasionally, but his are not allergy related. I'm a neglectful mom who sometimes doesn't clean his ears after swimming.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wellness Core

When you say "fungal", do you mean Ringworm? My dog has floppy ears and gets it every now and then and we use over the counter atheletes foot cream, which is a fungus med. Vet recommended it.

The vets push Science Diet for some reason and all of my pet's turned their noses at it! lol

The vets push Science Diet because . . .

Here is a link that might be useful: Why vets like Science Diet

Hmmm maybe it's yeast, I thought it was fungus but I may have misunderstood. It's a wet, black goo that stinks if we don't clean it out regularly. Max is taking ketoconozole orally and that helps when I canget him to swallow it.

I am returning the food. I like what I feed them but I might look into s no grain food as Max does tend to be heavier than he needs to be, but Z is the perfect weight. She is a lot more active than he is tho.

Someone suggested vagisil but I thought that was weird but might try it if I can't get Max's ears to calm down. Guess the daily monitoring is just another part of being a good pet parent. We've got 4 dogs but Maxie's my boy...fell in love with him at first sight. I just can't understand how people can be cruel to dogs and get rid of them when they just don't fit their ideals anymore. Sorry, my rant of the day. Max was a rescue who'd been neglected & abused before he was saved and I met him.

Try the Vagisil, it very well could work. I do know dogs with floppy ears get moisture in them so when my Grace is sleeping, I fold her ear back to let air circulate in it. lol.

Don't you just love falling asleep holding a floppy ear...as long as there's no goop in it? heh.

That was an interesting article. I'm thankful that SD helps so many humans, but my gosh, my dogs want REAL food, just like I do! lol

I've fed mine nothing but Pedigree and they seem healthy and happy...except poor Duchess who is now 14 and not long for this world. Which I thought last year too. :)

Fungus and yeast seem identical to us, but they are different and the medicines that cure them are different. Your vet is giving him medicine for a fungal infection, so the idea of treating him with a product that attacks yeast infections in humans doesn't sound like a good idea. Although I can understand the desire at some point to try anything.

Pesky, try this trick for giving your dog pills... Get some string cheese and cut off a small, squarish chunk. Put the chunk in your microwave for a couple seconds (the inside will get soft for sticking the pill inside). Then take another chunk of string cheese and do the one-two method of giving a treat. I have two pieces of cheese in my hand and immediately after I give the medicine treat, I give the other piece of cheese. My dogs swallow the first piece of cheese whole so they can get the other treat.

My dog has eye allergies and when I holler 'medicine', both dogs come running for a treat. (Ever try prying a bulldog's mouth open? It will not happen.)