Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 7/3/2005

Question
Hi...I have a 4 month chihuahua that has quite a bit of brown
wax deep in his ears, otherwise they look healthy and pink.  I
have to admit I don't clean them as often as I should because he
hates it so much.  They have a bit of an odor but nothing
terrible.  They don't really seem to bother him either.  He had a
vet checkup and they couldn't see mites but gave me an
antibiotic solution as a precaution.  I'd rather not give him
anything like that unless he really needs it.  Is the wax
normal...should I just clean them more regularly, or are the
antibiotics the way to go?  Thank you!

Answer
This is definitely not normal in a young puppy.  There may be ear mites even though the vet didn't see them. I would have the vet treat the pup with a shot of something called Ivermectin or a topical product called Revolution. There may also be a food sensitivity causing the ear wax.  Often these pups with wax have a yeast infection in the ear.  Ask the vet to check for that. Ask your vet to also do a deep ear cleaning under some sedation so that the ear canal can be completely cleaned.  Then use an ear cleaner at home for a few weeks to keep the wax from building up.