Labs have big floppy heavy ears and this creates a dark, moist environment which can make them sometimes prone to ear issues such as yeast and bacteria.  If you find your dog is shaking his head a lot or rubbing his ear along the ground, he probably has something happening inside his ear.  The most common issue is yeast which has an odor and is often accompanied by a brown, blackish discharge.

Recipe for Ear Infection

The first thing to try is apple cider vinegar.  This will change the PH of the ear and make it impossible for the yeast to thrive.

1. Wipe out the ears with cotton balls to get the discharge out. Do not go too deep.
2. With a dropper, put 3 or 4 drops of the vinegar into each ear.
3. Close the ear and then press the flap gently into the ear and rub at the base.
4. Repeat twice a day for a week.

If you find after a week, the yeast is still there, try the next line of defense:

1. Purchase Monistat 7 at any drugstore. You want the version that gives you 7 applications. Yeast is yeast wherever it grows, whether in a woman’s body or a dog’s ear.
2. Put half of the dosage in one ear and half in the other.
3. Apply once a day for 7 days.

Ear Mites

Sometimes, when a dog has mites, he will jump up as if something bit him and then rub his ear along the floor or ground.  This is usually an indication of ear mites.  Also, if you take a Q tip or cotton swab and go inside the ear and wipe it around, you will see a kind of dark, chunky debris.

Recipe for Ear Mites

Please purchase the following items:

Castor Oil
Neem Oil
Aloe Vera Juice (or an Aloe Vera Plant)
A small bottle with a dropper for easy application

In a measuring cup:

1 tbsp of Castor Oil
3 mils or 3 dropperfuls of Neem Oil
2 mils or 2 dropperfuls of the Aloe Juice (from plant or bottle)

It may be good to bring the oils to room temperature which will make them easier to pour.

Combine all the ingredients and stir.

Pour into the small bottle.

Application

1. Clean your dog’s ears out with a cotton ball and/or Q tip.
2. Apply 5 to 10 drops, (depending on severity) into each ear.
3. Close the ear and rub it at the base to work in the formula. You may hear a squishy sound.
4. Apply twice a day for 7 days.
5. Take 7 days off.
6. Apply again for 7 days.