Are you constantly going to the vet because your dog is shaking and scratching at his ears? Each time you get them cleaned of all that black gunk and buy more medication to put in the ear - only to do the same thing in about a month’s time? Your dog probably has a chronic yeast infection of the ear canal. If your dog was not diagnosed with ear mites, then here’s an old kennel trick that might help. ( NOTE * Always have the vet check your dog’s ears and make sure it’s not something serious! )

 First, clean the ear out real well with 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 water. You may have to use an ear syringe to flush out the ear, but normally a cotton swab will do. Then fill the ear canal with boric acid powder. Put lots of the powder in and poke it down with your "pinky" as far as you can. At first, do it twice a day, every day until you see improvement, then once a day. Then several times per week until you can reduce it to once per week. I've found that after an initial series of 3 days in a row, once a week thereafter is sufficient.

You can also put the boric acid powder into a squeeze bottle, cut the tip down to make a bigger hole and sort of "puff" the powder into the ears.  Either method works.  We sometimes use the plastice catsup or mustard bottles that are for sale in the supermarket.

This very helpful tip is courtesy of Ellen Kapen -