Ears again
Theo's ears did not improve, so he had to have a general anaesthetic so his ears could be flushed and treated. That was about two weeks ago.
There were no foreign bodies in his ears, and neither the vet's local swabs nor the ones sent off to the lab found anything significant apart from an overgrowth of yeast.
By the next day, the ears were full of wax again! But a course of steroid pills and ear-drops have resulted in healthy-looking ears that don't seem to itch - though they still smell slightly of cheese. The total cost was £520. Ouch.
The internet has of course a thousand and one theories as to how to prevent yeast overgrowth in dog-ears, and I am now wondering whether to try an exclusion diet in the hope that he might be reacting to something in his food... or just accept that he's prone to these issues.
I don't know. I might try one of the new cold-pressed insect-based foods. On the face of it, more ethical than meat-based food for dogs, and I'm sure he would be happy to eat it : he's not picky.