My male Labrador Retriever has very problematic ears. His ears are big and long. The wax buildup comes and goes. He was treated for infections a few times but the wax keeps coming back. It is a chronic problem.
I have to clean his ears every day, and a good part of the time his ears are healthy in color with a little brownish wax that does not smell bad. But every now and then one or both of his ears will rage, with lots of brown in his ears, with little sores or scabs and deep pink flesh. I just have to keep cleaning and cleaning. When it gets bad I put some triple antibiotic ointment in his ears on the sores to help clear up the problem after I clean the ear out. But it will take several days to clear up.
It is a constant battle for this dog. Thankfully he knows the routine, and he does not run from me even though sometimes it hurts him when I clean his ears. Poor dog.