Excessive ear wax - itcy ears

Question
QUESTION: Hi there, for 3 years now my poor dog has suffered from excessive black wax production in his ears.  They are incredibly itchy and they often get infected [vet usually prescribes surolan and/or prednisolone tabs to treat this] - is there anything natural that I can use to fight the infections in his ears and to help stop the itching?

ANSWER: Many dogs have this type of problem when eating dog food that has grain; the carbohydrates (sugars) seem to contribute to yeast infections in the ears.

There are several brands of grain-free dog foods available; here are some examples:

http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/brands4dept.asp?dept_id=1156
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=grain_free

I would also clean out the ears weekly with a canine ear cleaner, available at any pet store.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He is on a raw food diet and doesn't get any carbs, it's an auto-immune condition, I use a conventional ear cleaner every 2 days  -- was really looking for a natural alternative and for someone to suggest something natural to boost his immune system - perhaps Patti is more able to deal with this query?

Answer
Yes, if you are looking for MEDICAL information, such as boosting immune system, you should certainly contact someone else.  I make it very plain in my profile and other places that I am not qualified to address questions of a medical nature.  Check to see if you have any holistic vets in your area.

Good luck finding a solution.

Chris