However, occasionally, a dog may develop an ear condition that requires professional vet care that's more immediate and expensive. Scott DW, Miller WH, Griffin CE. Muller and Kirk's small animal dermatology. 6th ed. W.B. Saunders; Philadelphia: 2001

This condition is no fun for your pet and should be taken seriously if it strikes. If left untreated for too long, ear mites in dogs can lead to further complications should an infection or burst blood vessel occur.Topical ear medicines containing ingredients against bacteria, fungi and inflammation are prescribed by your veterinary practitioner from whom advice must be sought.

If you do need to clean your dog’s ears, wipe them out with a little organic witch hazel on a cotton ball. Never use anything smaller than your finger inside your dog’s ear (don’t use a cotton swab or you’ll risk damaging the ear canal). Once your dog has gone through treatment for ear mites, you will, of course, want to make sure that those pesky devils don’t return anytime soon. The best way to do this is by cleaning your pet's ears at least once per month. This will help to diminish his risk of contracting ear mites again. You can find a homeopathic vet at theavh.org. Most will do phone consults so they don’t have to be local.Otitis externa (OE) is classically underpinned by factors that directly cause disease and those that either predispose to disease or perpetuate it. The latter two clusters of factors are further evaluated under the epidemiology section. A number of causal agents lead to OE directly with no need for any assistance from other factors as follows: Although these cases are sporadic when they occur, they are usually caused by a tiny object or something like plant debris. How to Prevent It: This is inflammation or infection of the middle ear parts. In about a sixth of dogs with otitis external, the infection can spread into otitis media. This isa problem in more than half of dogs who have chronic otitis externa. It can also mean a foreign object (like a foxtail) has penetrated the ear drum. Yeast exists naturally in healthy ears, but can get out of balance causing a yeast infection. If your dog’s ears are yeasty-smelling with a dark brown discharge, it’s often yeast overgrowth. Yeasty ears may be itchy but are usually not painful.