ok so the vet gave me otic clean and a cream for his ears for 2 weeks. the first week went well and now hes back to crying and rubbing his ear on the bed or floor. it's just the left ear. the vet said it could be allergies but the test is expensive they said.

Does his ear look dirty inside and smell bad? Did they do an actual culture of the "stuff" inside his ear? They would have used a long cotton swap to take a sample from the inside of the ear and then analyzed it under a microscope. Then they would determin if it was yeast, bacteria, or mites. If you're not sure, ask your vet what their diagnosis was. That determins what particular medication is used, so they may just be using the wrong one.

Some dogs have chronic ear problems, but after a round of proper treatment are usually fine for a while with regular cleaning. Allergies is possible, but since it's just the one ear and he's otherwise fine, I'd get a second opinion on the ear itself first.

What's the name of the medication they gave him? My beagle gets yeast issues once in a while (those floppy ears just invite it:rolleyes:) and I use Zymox ear cleaner and ointment drops. I've had her ear cultured a few times though during a flare up and it's always yeast, so I know what I'm dealing with. Ask your vet for specifics and if they can't give you that or don't want to try a different medication, I'd try a different vet for a second opinion before dishing out major bucks for allergy testing. Some ear issues can be tricky to get rid of, but there's a big variety of different medications they can use, so sometimes it takes a little trial and error.

Is there alcohol in that ear cleaner ? If so tell them you want something without alcohol. EpiOtic comes without alcohol and so does OtiCalm. Alcohol can & usually does cause more irritation in yeasty ears when used daily.

ingredients are propylene, glycol, malic acid, benzoic acid, sallicylic acid, euacalyptus, oil, fd&c, yellow #6, in a water base

every time i take him to the vet they just say his ears are dirty but i clean them every day and cut the hair in his ears

Some dogs produce more gunk in their ears than others. I had one that has chronic ear problems, after I lost count of the meds and treatments, I tried using Coconut oil and it cleared one ear up right away...and it's soothing so she doesn't scratch anymore. I use it on my cat too he has really funky ears... they're much better now. good luck.

i will try that thank you. because i clean his ears till no more gunk comes out and hes still rubbing his ear on the bed crying

It just sounds like something they are doing is just not right. When we took Kayla in last Wed. and ended up with the stress and fever and all she went through they did not do anything to stress her more except to check her ears because she too had been scratching her left ear. They said it was a yeast infection. Gave us an ointment to use for a week and today she is fine. Maybe its the meds they gave you that is not doing the job. I would take her back too because those ear infections hurt so much. No wonder she is crying. Hope you can get to the bottom of it and she gets better real soon.

I just lost my job so its hard to take him back to the vet and hear the same thing over again I wish they could just pin point what it is. They told me if the meds didnt work they would need to do an allergy test but they said that is expensive and were trying to avoid it

is this a good one? Amazon.com: Nature's Way Organic Coconut Oil, 16...

Yes... they're all about the same, I think. It does turn solid under 75 degrees Fahrenheit, just put it in a bowl of very warm water to turn it liquid.

ok thank you im going to get that one and see how it works.

do i put it in his ear or mix it in his food?

Did they swab the ears to check what kind of organism is growing (if they suspect infection)? Yeast infections require different drugs than a bacterial infection. This should be cheaper than allergy testing.

no all they did was look in his ear

I think they should have swabbed the ear to make sure what they were dealing with. If my vet can't clear a problem on the 1st visit, he does not charge for additional office visits - just additional meds or tests. I think I would ask for it to be swabbed.

Also, my vet is a little more expensive on initial visits, but it saves me in the long run. Maybe a 2nd opinion is warranted if you can find a vet that might be a little more at first, but will work w you if repeat visits are needed.