Ear Infection

[Dennis Thomas, DVM]

He is probably resisting you because he is in pain. A couple of things you can try. Get him off the ground. This is his territory. Put him up on something that he is not used to being on. This will distract him. If he is like most labs, using treats to occupy his mind will often make it easier. I like using muzzles at the clinic. Not because I am afraid of one biting me, but muzzles have a psychological effect on them and it makes it a whole lot easier to clean out and treat the painful ear. I use muzzles instead of sedation to do OFA films in Labs. Don't tell your vet, they won't believe it. When the ears get back to normal, play around with the ears on a regular basis and get him used to you handling his ears when they are not painful. Yes, lots of chronic ear infections can be linked to allergies, but there are other causes. In Texas, where I am from, yeast infections are common sequela of swimming (swimmers ear).. Good luck.