Any herbal/home made remedies out there that can help?

Pico is a cocker spaniel and they tend to have problems with ear infections. I used to clean her ears religously, but they still tended to flair up. Another dog owner told me that she puts about a tablespoon of active culture yogurt on her dog's food every day and it pretty much cut out the ear infections. Her dog is about the size of a German Sheperd, so that should be about the right dose (Pico gets a little less.) Ever since I've started Pico on this, her ears are beautiful. She's had the occasional yeast infection when she otherwise gets stressed (for instance, after major surgery and taking antibiotics.) When she does get a yeast infection, I give her a product called Probios that I get at the feed store that has good bacteria that helps fight the infection (it says it's for stomach problems, but it works for ears too - also you can give the sheep or horse version if that is all they have, it's just a sizing issue). (Or WalMart sometimes sells the Probios treats, but they don't work as quickly.) Also, my vet likes to switch between 2 different medications for the yeast/fungus. You might ask your vet about that and also about giving you the treatment without the visit, since it's pretty clear what's needed. My vet usually just sniffs at the ear discharge rather than testing too - which also saves money!

Does your dog go swimming or get wet frequently? Fungal infections are usually caused by dampness in the ear that doesn't dry adequately. Its more common in drop ear breeds so I'm surprised your dog has this problem. Try keeping the ears dry everyday with an ear powder. You can get it at Petco. You aren't going to be able to treat the infection with ear powder, but you can help prevent it from starting back up again. If your dog is a swimmer or sticks his head in the gutter or whatever, might want to nip that in the bud. Frequent ear cleaning by dabbing a cotton ball with some hydrogen peroxide and cleaning out the pinna (dont reach in there with your finger!) may also help. But remember to keep the ears DRY.