has anyone found a food that helps cut down on the production of ear wax..I am cleaning every 3 days.
thank you

feed a higher quality food with complex carbs instead of corn. Go with Blue Buffalo, Evo or something like that. There are at least a dozen quite high qualit feeds out there that are grain free and/or use complex carbs which are not only better for our dogs but for us as well. You should see a difference all around not just in your dog's ears. I know these foods are pricy but they are so much better for the dogs.

I think too much simple carbs/starches promote too much yeast in the dogs(if this is what you are dealing with) as well as in humans.

Go grain free. It'll do it. Any bran that is grain free should be good enough.

Am I the only one who uses only one food, but some dogs have gunky ears and other dogs' ears are clean as a whistle? What should I blame for the gunky ears?

I wonder about this as well. My boy has problems with the yeasty ears. He has been on Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream for several months now. He looks great otherwise - nice coat and weight, but still has the yeasty ears.
My other dogs are on Diamond Naturals and not really any ear problems there.

I was thinking of trying Orijen for just him.

Years ago I fed science diet-never an ear issue-now with my new labs I was feeding natures variety-horrible ears.
I too am cleaning every few days-maybe we need a better cleaning product-mine is from the vet. I am at a loss and the dogs hate it when they see that bottle coming towards them.
Any other input would be appreciated.

Give this some more time and make sure you get the ears clean, it takes awhile for a new food to work its way in and old out.
I feed my boy the same thing and it WORKS!

Same here with the once yeasty ears. All of my boys are on TWT Pac Stream and doing well. I have 1 boy that was loaded with yeast in ears and pads. Ketocanozole got rid of the yeast. Ketocanozole works systemically, from the inside out. He's still on a 1 pill/day regimen.

Some ear wax is okay. The wax acts like a filter that collects dirt. For a gentle cleaning, I use Epi-otic. I squirt the liquid directly from the bottle into the ear, massage the liquid in the ear and let them shake the rest out. I dry the inside of the ear flap, not down into the ear canal, with cotton balls. I do this twice a month for my yeasty boy and once a month on the other boys.

Any ingredient can cause gunky ears not just carbs. You have to find a food that works for your dog. I recommend starting with a limited ingredient diet, one that has very few ingredients. California Natural Lamb and Rice is one such formula. Don't give any treats or chews, your treats could also be causing the problem.

I have an 11 yr old retiree who had came to me with gooey ears. I was feeding her chicken based Nutro which I have been feeding the boys and they have not had any problems. She has very narrow ear canals so it is hard to clean them as well. Have been using the alcohol/glycerine/boric acid mix with good results for cleaning. She has had several surgeries for mast cells and have had the vet clean her ears at the same time. My vet recommended Purina (vet diet) HA which is soy based. No ear problems since-Yes it is expensive $80 Cdn for 16.5 lbs- but she is worth it. I did try Duck and potato which she gobbled up then puked it up...went back to the HA adn all is good.
Perhaps this will help. Hope you find a solution.

I too believe a grain free, high protein food (Fish) such as Orijen 6, and a new ear drop called surolan,
along with virbac epiotic advanced ear cleaner alternating with dermapet trizedata cleaner, every 2 - 3 days helped clear up my girl's ear infections and yeast problems. I also think using vinegar and water can help the PH balance .
After learning my girl had developed a sensitivity to chicken, beef, and lamb,and skin allergies, the Dermatologist suggested I feed one protein like fish and potato.. I was skeptical at first, but after trying several medications including compounded ear drops and other meds, feeding orijen 6, since Jan 5,has helped clear up her ear problems. We have eliminated wheat, soy, corn, gluten, no added salt or sugar,no artificial or chemical preservatives, no additives, fillers, artificial colors, dyes, animal by-products, steroids, hormones, in her diet.

I changed my girl's food several times due to skin and food allergies and ear infections and discovered Orijen 6 - fish formula to work the best for my girl. The cost of the Orijen 6 is higher than other food, but it's worth every penny..Because of my girl's allergies and her TVD, and conducting a lot of research into pet food and treats, I channeled my frustration into developing a natural and organic gourmet healthy pet treat company, called Tweedle Pet Products named after my girl Tweedle, and donate a portion of all our proceeds to Dr Meg Sleeper's TVD Research at The University of PA.
I'm curious what meds others have used for yeast and ear infections, and if their Labs also have food or skin sensitivities?? and to what?

Re: food, ears, allergies, and skin sensitivity
I encourage you to try orijen 6 - fish formula
I too believe a grain free, high protein food (Fish) such as Orijen 6, and a new ear drop called surolan,
along with virbac epiotic advanced ear cleaner alternating with dermapet trizedata cleaner, every 2 - 3 days helped clear up my girl's ear infections and yeast problems. I also think using vinegar and water can help the PH balance .
After learning my girl had developed a sensitivity to chicken, beef, and lamb,and skin allergies, the Dermatologist suggested I feed one protein like fish and potato.. I was skeptical at first, but after trying several medications including compounded ear drops and other meds, feeding orijen 6, since Jan 5,has helped clear up her ear problems. We have eliminated wheat, soy, corn, gluten, no added salt or sugar,no artificial or chemical preservatives, no additives, fillers, artificial colors, dyes, animal by-products, steroids, hormones, in her diet.

I changed my girl's food several times due to skin and food allergies and ear infections and discovered Orijen 6 - fish formula to work the best for my girl. The cost of the Orijen 6 is higher than other food, but it's worth every penny..Because of my girl's allergies and her TVD, and conducting a lot of research into pet food and treats, I channeled my frustration into developing a natural and organic gourmet healthy pet treat company, called Tweedle Pet Products named after my girl Tweedle, and donate a portion of all our proceeds to Dr Meg Sleeper's TVD Research at The University of PA.
I'm curious what meds others have used for yeast and ear infections, and if their Labs also have food or skin sensitivities?? and to what?

Hi

When you say you use only one food, Could you clarify this?
I'm curious as to whether the food you use contains wheat, soy, corn, additives, artificial chemicals, preservatives, dyes,colors, What;s the brand of food you use?
Some dogs are allergic to chicken, beef, flaxseed,
and other ingredients. wHAT;S THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE PROTEIN INT HE FOOD YOU USE?

You might want to try using plain vinegar with the same amount of luke-warm water and cotton squares
to clean your labs ears...or Derma pet Trizedta,
or virbac epiotic advanced ear cleaner...Pour some on the cotton square instead of pouring the liquid in the ear..

Actually cleaning ears 2 - 3 times per week is normal.
What you are using may not be that effective.
I understand the problem you are speaking about very well...related to food, etc. and ear wax buildup.

You might want to re-read some of my recent posts about food and ears . We use orijen 6 - fish, and think about eliminating chicken, beef, lamb,
wheat, soy, corn, other additives, gluten, etc.
that has a tendency to build up excess ear wax.

Also, feel free to check out www.tweedlepetproducts.com

We finally do not have this problem you are wanting to manage