Hmm....
I'm not too familiar with dog's ears. When I found my two cats (strays) they had gunky ears. The vet put them on a kind of general wide-spectrum ear drop. The older cat's ears cleared up fine, but the little one's did not. I took her to a different vet who cultured her ears, found yeast, and gave her a stronger drop that targeted yeast, and she cleared up great and has been good ever since. Your dog may need a stronger ear drop...
Good luck

Look at his diet.
My dog had constant ear problems until I switched her to a good dog food. Try to avoid corn, by-products, and other unnecessary ingredients.

The food I feed him is a lamb&rice formula. I switched him to that about 2 years ago. There has been no change. His ears get so bad that the canal completely closes up. When he shakes his head you can see the fluid come out. Smells horrible. What he needs is tubes put in his ears, like what my son had done. What would be a good food to feed him?

Thanks,
Dawn

A couple of things may be going on here.
The food may be a problem. Many dogs, including 2 out of my 3, are allergic to lamb. Try feeding him something he has never had before for 6 weeks and see if that helps. If not, he's either allergic to the new food or he doesn't have food allergies. You may have to go through several different foods to see what he is allergic to. When you are doing the food trial, he cannot eat anything except the food- no rawhides, treats, bones, veggies, nothing. You can find interesting foods at PetSmart and other large pet retailers. I had good luck with a veggie diet in my dogs. If he responds to a new diet, you can slowly start to add treats, one type at a time, carefully monitoring for reactions. If he reacts to a certain food, you will notice within 2 weeks. But don't add another food for at least 4 weeks, just in case.
He may have antibiotic-resistant infections, especially since he has had so many treatments. He really needs a culture and sensitivity to see exactly what drugs will work. Also he may need follow-up C&S to determine if the infection has cleared before stopping the antibiotics. He may need systemic antibiotics to really clear up the infection. Recurrance in only one week post-treatment says to me that the treatment didn't really work, either because the bacteria are resistant to the drugs being used or because the treatment wasn't done long enough.
He may also have something in his ear canals, like polyps, that are setting him up for infections. Any obstruction to normal air-flow in the ears really makes keeping the ears clean difficult. At this point, he may need to have his ears flushed while under sedation to make sure that 1) all the infection is actually flushed out and 2) allow the vet to really take a look at what is going on deep in the canals. It's really hard to get ears that are very inflamed clean, especially in a dog that is painful and moving around.
He could also be allergic to other things besides food. My Aleksander is allergic to wool, all insects (including dust mites), many common pollens, and molds. Which is a problem for a dog living in NC. I had to take him to an allergist, who did skin tests and blood tests to determine exactly what he is allergic to. She Rx allergy shots (hyposensitivity) that I give once a week. They really helped a lot; he rarely even needs antihistamines anymore, and I haven't had him on steroids in over a year (he used to need them for several weeks in fall or he'd get hotspots and ear infections). It was pretty expensive to get the allergist, but so worth it- Aleks is so much happier, which means so am I.
That's the short answer. Allergies are no fun, and coupled with bad ear infections is even worse. Don't give up- there has got to be relief for the poor boy somehow.

His ears are clear of any objects. I can't put any kind of liquid in his ears, the condition will get worse. My vet suggested flushing his ears out. I may do that. That way everything in his ears will be gone. The only thing my dog gets for treats are deer bones, thats it. I'm thinking of trying a all natural diet of raw meat like steak.My vet feeds his dog raw steak and now his dog has no allergies. I just don't know what to do. I have tried everything.

Dawn

We have a lab that's allergic to everything. I had her on a raw diet since she was a pup but she was allergic to the veggies and also the supplements I gave her instead of the veggies. I was ordering high priced supplements from Monica Segel in Canada before we switched her to Flint River Ranch lamb and rice. We had her on another lamb and rice and apparently it had too much preservatives or something else in it that didn't agree with her.

The food is a little pricey but it was worth it to stop the itching and gunky ears. She still gets a build up if we don't clean at least monthly but that's our fault. She goes through not quite 20 lbs every two weeks. It has to be ordered online. We just place an automatic order every paycheck and that keeps it simple.

I think I am going to have the ear flushing done. I think the infection is so deep in the canal that the meds aren't getting to it. I will get his ears totally cleaned out and see what happen. I don't think it is an allergy. I think he has no drainage in his ears. Massaging his ears and neck area seemd to help him. It helps him to relax and relieves him of his discomfert (can't spell today). I have had him on all food and diets and no good results. I can't stand to see him like this. He is such a sweet dog. Here is a pic of Jett laying on my son.
{{!gwi}}
Thanks,
Dawn

Have you tried yogurt? I belong to a huge pug message board, and you wouldn't believe the number of chronic ear infections that've been cleared up by 1 or 2 tablespoons of yogurt every day. A good food will help, too -- raw is great for that. But remember, it takes 6 weeks to notice any real difference. If you switch foods, you've really gotta commit for a couple months.

I'm surprised that antibiotics haven't worked at all, but it's definitely not the first time I've heard that.

What a handsome guy!!! If Jett's problem is a yeast infection, I would definitely put him on acidophilus if you haven't already. You can get it in a drugstore. I'd start him out on at least 400 mg/day for a week and then drop back to 200 mg/day. Girlwithaspirin was on the right track when she suggested yogurt. Acidophilus is the live, good bacteria found in yogurt but, since Jett's problem is so severe, you'll need to put him on a stronger dose. Keep in mind too, that an antibacterial earwash or antibiotics will make a yeast infection worse as they kill all bacteria - even the good kind! Good luck with your sweet guy!

I haven't had Jett on any kind of antibiotic for about a year now. I will give the acidophilus a try. I can't wash his ears out at all. No moisture can enter his ears, makes it worse. I clean his ears everyday. I go through about 6-7 Q-tips for each ear. During the summer with the heat and humity it really makes his ears horrible. They get so bad that the canals actually close-up. When that happens I have to put him on steroids. I hate doing that but I have no choice. The steroids takes the swelling away and seems to clear his ears right up. Theres no signs of infection, no moisture and black gunk. Thanks again for the help!

Dawn

Hi there: We have a 13 year old female pug, and we have spent sooooo much money trying to rid an obstinate ear infection. We've tried various oral antibiotics and liquid baetril for the ear. Nothing, nothing has healed her ear infection. She has been to 4 different vets., and the last two wanted to remove her ear (not the external but the internal and mid-ear.)

My fear is she might die under anesthesia. [her age!] I have used ear cleaners, ear flushers and the baetril liquiD. I don't want her to have the surgery. Her new vet. is making me clean and flush her ears twice a week; however, I did that and her ear was so full of blood and pus, I could not contain in on one cotton ball.

Years ago, my exdl, an RN, recommended flushing and cleaning her ear with hydrogen peroxide; however my pug's new vet. maintains that the hydrogen keeps the ear too damp and exascerbates her ear problems. I gotta tell you, though, my exdl gave me a syringe, I and used the hp for several weeks quite frequently, and my pug's ear was the clearest, cleanest it has ever been.

I have had folks suggest I tie her ears up over her head to allow her ears to dry out. Someone suggested using a hair dryer. The problem is, dogs ears are slanted differently than humans and cannot dry out. Remember, wolves -- and dogs are domesticated wolves, have pointed ears that allow air into the canal so it dries out well. The big problem, is moisture retention in the canal and middle ear.

I bought a book just this Thurs. on pugs. They recommend using rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide in equal amounts to dry out the ear. I gotta, say my pugs' ears, regardless, were the cleanest, gunkisless, and clearest using a syringe of hy. Then, I shaped cotton balls into a swab shape and dried out her ears. My husband and I held her, and then we flipped her over to let her bad ear drain into a washcloth or cottonball, too. Next, I'm going to try the combo of hp and alcohol and see if she will allow me to use a hair dryer!!!!!!

Her diet is Science Diet for Seniors, the small nuggets. We also give her chicken meat [freshly cooked] veggies, organic chicken broth, carrots, blueberries, oranges and watermelon. She also gets vitamins, vit.C, joint therapy consisting of glucosamine and chrondotrin. Uh humpf, also table scraps and generally snacks from our menu. Oh, she loves Greenies Bisquits, too. the best, tessyt

Tessyt, My vet suggested the same surgery. I'm not for it at all. I have taped his ears back but that didn't work. I also tried the alcohol and HP treatment but that didn't work either. I used a drying creme that seemed to work a little bit, but after a couple of weeks we were back to square one again. I'm thinking about asking the vet to do an x-ray to see if there is a blockage in his ear canals. His ears just aren't draining and I can't figure it out. I am starting to think that there might be a defect with his canals. Thanks for all your suggestions.

Dawn

Dawn: Thank you for responding. I just couldn't face surgery at my little dog's age. HOw did you manage to tape your dog's ears back? I have bought countless women's headbands in the drug store, have tried twine, yet my sweetie gets her ears out all the time. What is the name of the drying creme? Gosh, Dawn, I wish I could help you more because I am in the same boat as you are. You would not believe the money we have spent on our pooch. The very best to you, yours and your dog, tessyt

Girlwithaspirin: Please share with me your pug message board cause my dog is a pug too.

Meghane: I am very interested in your veggie diet. This sounds like something I want for my girl. Please share all info., on this veggie diet.

Thank all of you, your thoughts and ideas, tessyt

Tessyt, First I used this stuff called ear glue. Ppl who show certain breeds use it to help the ears stand up better while growing. That didn't work to well. I think Jetts ears were too heavy. Than I used duct tape. I know, it sounds cruel. That worked but Jett wasn't to impressed with the idea. The drying creme is called R-7. Here is a pic of what it looks like. I found the easiest way to get this into the ear deep enough is to use a syringe or eye dropper. This stuff is really thick. Once it is in the ear you can use a Q-tip to spread it around.I bought mine at Petsmart. I hope this helps.

{{!gwi}}

Dawn

Dawn: Oh, think you so much. I'll try any thing. I am desperate. Your dog is so much bigger than my little pug. Maybe you could use a woman's headband on his larger head to allow air in his ear canal. My problem, none of the bands were small enough to hold her ears up. A head band might work with Jett because he's bigger.

Yes, I have talked to many people who have tied their dog's ears up to allow them to dry out. Also, I have talked to folks who use hair dryers. Just turn on the lowest setting. I don't know if it helps, but I've heard other folks suggest it.

Thanks for all your help, and the best to your dog and his ears. tessyt

Tessyt, You know what might work for your dog, to keep the ears back is a wrist band that stretches or try a bandana or a scarf of some sort. Something that you can tie and tighten. Its tough to keep there ears up cause its just not a natural thing for dogs. They will fight you on it...as you already know.

Dawn

Oh yes, but I never thought of a wrist band. With her smaller head, it might work. Of course, I've worried about her comfort level, but she hates it all, everything we've done to her ears. It has gone on sooo long. She's a good girl though.

I tried the hair dryer on low, aimed at her ear canal. I stopped because she disliked it so.

Also, I do believe she has allergies. I know she always sneezes in grass when we take her outside. I had a thought earlier today. I think this thread brought this to mind. I am going to ask her doctor for a veterinarian anti-histamine.

I use Benedyrl for my allergies; Benedyrl is definitely drying, dries out my nasal passages and mouth. Down side of it is, it makes me sleepy. And, I don't want my little diva sleepy. How about at night, though? Yes, anti-histamines dry out everything. I betcha they have one for dogs too. If I could give her this before bedtime, she would have many hours of dry ears.

Thanks so much for your help. I hope both of us can rid our cherished dogs from bad ears. Have you thought about having your dogs ears, what do you call it, trimmed? Like they do boxers, make their ears like wolves, which would really dry out the ear canal. I swear to you, if my girl was not so old, I would consider this because years ago they did this to pugs. Made their ears stand up like a wolf's.
take care, tessyt

Yes, an anti-histamine may just work. I'm sure your vet can prescribe some for you or over the counter. I do shave the hair that is in his ears, to allow better air flow. I think what you are talking about is cropping. I talked to my vet about this and he doesn't advise it. It is a painful surgery. I really don't think Jett has allergies. I have had him on so many different diets than I can count.There has been no change. Maybe I will give the anti-histamines a try on Jett. It can't hurt at this point...right? I just put the drying creme in his ears tonight. Tomarrow his ears will be better but it won't last. Try a wristband designed for a man, they are a little bigger. I know what you mean about their comfort level. I think of it as "it's gotta be better than the pain and discomfort they are going through with moisture filled infected ears".
Take care,
Dawn

You can use antihistamines for dogs. Have the vet give you doses for a couple of different ones. Some dogs respond better to one than another, so you may have to try a couple before finding one that works. Aleks used to take chlorpheniramine.
I put a link to the veggie food that I used to feed my kids. I got it at PetSmart, I think any of those types stores carry it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nature's Recipe veggie/allergy

Thank you so very much, Meghane. I need help, and you have helped me too. I know my diva, Tula is allergic, at least to grass, but my mother always thought she had food allergies. It is time to try something new. Thank you for the excellent ideas, the best tt

Mine had a yeast infection once. I read that they scratch their ears then get the infectin on their foot and pass it back and forth from foot to ear. I guess it is possible.

Cute pic, I hope Jett can get some relief (and you too).

My female Wheaten terrier is two years old and has had at least five ear infections. All required vet visits and ear drops. The latest started about a month ago, she had to be sedated and have the ear washed out, which cost me over $600 even tho she was back home within a few hours. The vet ran an ear culture and found both yeast and bacteria. She is better now, after two different drops. The vet suggested we get the hair in her ears removed. Is this painful? The vet said she can pull out the hair herself or we can have it done when she is groomed, which is about every two months. What would you do?

I'm glad I found this thread. My westie, Stuart, 8 years old, is beginning to have ear problems. I had 2 westies, Lila and Hattie, that had severe ear problems (they are both deceased). I've realized that the problems began when the dogs became older and their ears no longer stood straight up.

I am very worried about Stu, partly because Lila and Hattie eventually went deaf.

I've had a long good relationship with my vet. We've tried lots of different things with varying degrees of success.

A few tips that my vet agrees with -
I use bobby pins to clean the ears, followed by q-tips. If you are not comfortable using a bobby pin they make a plastic ear canal cleaner that you can get at the drugstore.The plastic cleaner is very similar to a bobby pin, but has all rounded edges. Obviously you should not attempt to clean the ears with a bobby pin OR the ear canal cleaner if you have not trained your dog to be still. Whatever you do be gentle and do not force it too far into the ear canal. The point of using the bobby pin or ear cleaner is to get as much wax out as possible - q-tips often force wax back into the ear instead of getting it out.

My vet showed me how you just pull small amounts of hair out of the ears. I was amazed because it looked like it would hurt but my dogs weren't bothered at all. Think of it like you are plucking your eyebrows or nose hairs. I usually use my fingers, but I use tweezers on the deep hairs.

I got a gadget with a light and magnifier to look into the ear canal. I got it at Wal-greens. I think it cost $9.99.

My vet ok'd trying over the counter (otc) vaginal yeast suppositories on Stu's ears. I found the same active ingredient in a liquid, much easier to use, in an otc athlete's foot preparation and in a jock itch treatment. I just started treating Stu yesterday, so it is too soon to tell if it will work.

The posts about allergies and getting the ears to dry out all make sense. The post about the ear wax building up overnight, requiring daily cleaning, etc. sounds just like Stu. It is amazing how much wax builds up so fast.

I'll post again in a few days and let you know if the clotrimazole otc preparation works.
-Hal

I googled canine ear canal. This one was the easiest for me. The link is an illustration of a dogs ear. The bend in the canal makes it harder to hurt the ear drum of a dog. It also shows how much area there is to collect wax. (We have a straight run which is why we're not supposed to use anything smaller than our own elbow.)

Here is a link that might be useful: canine ear

That is a really good link. The mention of sulfa cremes interested me as I have wondered if triple antibiotic creme\salve would do any good. The article indicates it might.

Today I checked Stuart and there was much less wax build-up after one day of treatment with Lamisil liquid. I also trimmed the hair around and on his ears to encourage more air getting inside them.

The surgery mentioned in the link sounded gruesome. I can't imagine having the entire ear canal removed.

One other part of the ear puzzle that I've wondered about - After Hattie and Lila went deaf they no longer got ear infections. What would explain that? If it was an allergy wouldn't the allergy continue? If it was yeast or bacteria or fungi wouldn't that continue?
-Hal

I tried using Monostat 7 and that didn't work. I have never tried using Lamisil, I'll have to give that a try. I hope this will work. The only thing that works is using Prednisone which is a steroid. If the Lamisil doesn't work I'm gonna have to put him back on the steroids for long term use this time.

Dawn

I haven't checked Stuart's ears closely today, but I could tell he was feeling much better. The skin on the underside of his ears isn't as red as yesterday and there seems to be less swelling of his ear canals.

I bought some monostat 7 but couldn't figure out how to use it; a creme didn't lend itself to being put in his ear. Did you use the applicator? I thought about using the applicator to inject it and then swabbing with q-tips. I didn't though, because for some reason Stuart wanted to lick and I wondered if it would be safe to ingest.

Hattie and Lila were on prednisone. I hated that it caused them to have urinary incontinence. The house was a mess as a result. I also don't think it did much for them.

My terriers are inside\outside dogs and have a doggy door. I have a Westie, a fox terrier, a skye terrier, and a mongrel terrier. The only one who ever has ear problems is the westie. Do you have more than one dog? Does only one have ear problems? This is another reason I am puzzled...
-Hal

Is it possible your dog might have ear mites? I have to believe your vet already thought of/checked for this, but then again, maybe not. Your mentioning the black tarry stuff in his ears is what made me think of mites.

I only have cats, and several of them have had ear mites when I first acquired them, and the tell-tale sign is always that black tarry stuff in the ears.

I did a quick google search to see if dogs can even get ear mites, and it seems they can. The site I went to said that untreated mites can lead to chronic bacterial or yeast infections of the ear.

Again, I would think your vet would have recognized & checked for mites already, but you might just ask him to be sure.

--pony

He has been tested several times for ear mites and they were negitive. That is what I thought was his problems were from ear mites but it's not that. I can hear the liquid in his ears. This is what is in his ears. I cleaned them out again this morning. Today's cleaning is actually a good day for Jett. I only used 8 q-tips per ear.
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

This is nothing compared to what I usually get when I clean his ears. Tonight when I clean his ears I will 2-3x that. I usually go through about 12-15 q-tips per ear. When Jett shakes his head liquid and black chunks fly out. I'm at a loss as too what I can do for him. This has been going on for years now.

Dawn

The q-tips pictures are very similar to my dog Stuart's, but a bit worse. My other westies also had similar q-tips. One of them would develop balls of black tarry wax that was incredible, almost unbelievable.

I cleaned Stuart's ears and am happy to report that they are better. Still problematic, but better than before treatment.

I talked with a pharmacist yesterday. He recommended I keep trying the Lamisil liquid until it is used up. Then change to another antifungal\antiyeast. He said yeast & fungus in humans is very hard to get rid of and all the preparations are in the same chemical family.

Thank you for mentioning ear mites. I'll google and read up on them. My vet checked and said Stuart doesn't have them. I wonder if ear mites are related to mites dogs get on their skin? A friend has a dog with demadactic (spelling?) mange that is caused by skin mites.
-Hal

I've tried to post this message twice but it hasn't gone through right and I really don't want to have to type it all out again! So, I'll try to sum it up. My dog has a yeast infection, has for years. Nothing has worked. I found this site that talks about yeast infections in dogs and cats and they have lots of stories and pics from people who have used their products and they've worked!

Here is a link that might be useful: NZYMES

Stuart's ears are now much better. I decided to flush them using Bactine, Ear Otic solution, and Hydrogen peroxide. I dried them. Then I applied as eardrops a product called Pronto, which is for treatment of Human lice. It is pyrethrins and an oil. You apply it, leave it on for 10 minutes, then wash or flush it away. I did this 2 days ago. His q-tips are about 85% better than before.

The Pronto instructions say to reapply the product in 10 days.

I've wondered if Stuart has yeast. The Lamisil seemed to help.I'll report back in a few days.
-Hal

My dogs ears look just like your Q-tips! The site says that discharge is a sign of a yeast infection. I would recommend to everyone to at least go read about yeast infections. We had already ruled out ear mites through the vet. Plus, ear mites spread and we have two dogs, but only one of them with this problem. Anyway, this site explains the different kinds of yeast infections in dogs, what it is and what needs to be done to get rid of it. It's very informative.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's the site

I looked at the Nzymes site. The product probably wouldn't hurt your pet, but I don't think it would help either. The site says the product contains some vitamins and "bioflavanoids and polypeptides." I think you'd save some money by visiting your local health food store. The site says "The time for overall improvement averages 1 month for every year of life and slightly longer for those pets with a history of medication usage including the use of antibiotics, steroids and antihistamines." It would be dangerous (abusive and neglectful, too), IMHO, to wait that long if your pet has a serious condition.

I took Stuart to the vet today. The vet was very pleased with the cleanliness of the ears. We again ruled out mites and the vet again said the Pronto and Lamisil treatments were not harmful and maybe helpful. He prescribed some Panalog ointment and we are to return in a month.
-Hal

Well, we can't afford the vet unfortunatly. And I've heard many people say that the vet helps clear up the problem for a little while, but then the problem comes back and they have to take their dog to the vet again. Why is it that you think the product won't help? I'm not trying to be argumentative or anything of the sort, just curious. There were alot of stories on the site from people who did use their product with great results! I'm not sure what to get from my local health food store. In the past, we've tried numerous different things that ended up not working. Now that I think about it, we probably didn't give any of the treatments enough time to work. But it's hard to be patient when you're not even sure it's going to work. That is one of the reasons I liked the NZMES. Because of the stories from the other people. Of course, they could all be fabricated. Another reason I liked this product is because they put everything together for me. I wouldn't know where to start! Perhaps that's the lazy way to do it. LOL Since we've already bought it, we'll continue to use it. If it doesn't work, I'll be sure and let everyone know!

one word: acidophilus. It works. period. You can get it at the drug store. I would start him on at least 500 mg twice a day (you can open the capsule and mix it into the food if you like. I'd keep him on this dosage for a week or two then bring it down to once a day. I keep my great dane (who is prone to yeast infections) on a 500 mg/day maintenance and I have not seen a recurrence in 3 years. I'm a diabetic and prone to yeast infections - I take the same dose!! It works - honest.

Just a note - keep the ears dry - yeast thrives in warm, damp conditions.

acidophilus seems to be working for my dog. His ears don't seem to be as bad as before. I wonder if his ears will clear up completely.

Dawn

If you continue the acidophilus and clean his ears periodically - yess it WILL clear up. As I said, I keep my girl on a maintenance dosage (and myself as well!!) and she's been fine for years.

HI Dawn, I just found this site & want to say something about the ear infections. I used to raise poodles & had one male that had horrible ear infections like yours. The one thing NO vet ever told me was how long to keep them on the ear drops.
Now, years later, a vet told me to use the drops for a full 10 days, also, when you put the drops in, hold the ear up & rub below the ear opening to work the drops deep into the ear canal.

This actually has worked for me now with my spaniels & shih tzus. My springer spaniel gets ear infections but not as often since I was finally told to do the drops for a full 10 days & how to work the drops into the canal.

Also, someone mentioned about cleaning the hair out of the ears. It actually doesn't hurt the dog, they problem is they need to get used to it, I have two new shih tzu pups & started them out right away cleaning the hair out & they are now used to it, hold still & don't fuss a bit when I do it. Just use a good pair of tweezers & don't try to pull too much at a time.

Also, pulling the hair out too often can also cause problems with the ear, so don't overdo it once you get the hang of it.

Hope some of this helps.

I keep my dogs ears clean from hair. I don't pull it out, I use a beard shaver. It works pretty well.

Dawn

hi, i would like to say thank you for the post because they are going to help me with my dogs problem :) i have an 11 year old sheltie who has had 2 hematomas in a 6 month period and had to have surger, after reading alot of articles as far as itching ears, allergies, food allergies, he does have sensative skin, is there any type of dog food that some 1 can recoment for me? he is not a picky eater and will eat anything :)

One of my German Shepherds was constantly shaking his head indicating an ear problem. The vet suggested cleaning it with some kind of lotion I purchased from him. Didn't help. I started adding ground flax seed to his food, about 1 tsp per day and he hasn't had any problems since. Except when I went a few days without giving it to him and the problem came back. If you go this route, the flax seed is most effective when it is FRESHLY ground, hence the need to grind it just prior to eating.

I already take flax seed myself (Omega 6 and 9 essential fatty acids) and have a coffee grinder I use for grinding. I just add a little more flax seed (which is really quite cheap if you don't buy it at a health food store) to the grinder and thus to his food.

I also will look into the probiotics. I know this stuff is good for lots of things, not just ears especially if you (or your dog) is getting beyond middle age. Thanks for the ideas.

I've been reading all the info here as my 4 month old Havanese has an ear infection. I took Tucker to the vet 4 days after I picked him up. He was scratching his ears so bad, poor little pup I felt so sorry for him, he's such a good affectionate lovable little pup. I figured he probaly had mites. Like all of you, one hate to see your pet suffer for any reason. The vet flushed and pulled lots of hair from his ears which looked almost closed with all the hair, and the test showed it as an yeast infection. I've been putting the Tri-Otic in his ears every day and massage it down in the canal (this part he likes), but it's getting that point of the little tube in his ear this is the BIG problem, he will lay still, till I'm about the time I'm ready to squeeze the tube then he starts squirming, then it's so hard to hang onto him! and get this, he don't even weigh 5lbs.! I've also been able to flush his ears a couple of times and he act like his ears don't hurt at all anymore, which makes me happy, but have another week of putting this medicine in his ears so I'm hoping somebody here can help me with the squirming pup 'sindrums'sp. If he every have this again, and I hope not, I'll see if there is a powder form to put in his food. I'm also thinking of changing his food as some of suggest. Wendy