Can dogs get ear infections? If so, what are symptoms and/or treatments?

[thursdayrising]

My black lab puppy is almost ten months old now with floppy ears. I haven't noticed him scratching any more than normal lately but this morning I noticed that the hair around the bottom of his ear was matted, like it had gotten sticky or something. It looked like there was just ear wax in his ear, but it was a little more liquid-y. I wiped his ear clean and he has no cuts or swelling (I compared it to his other ear). Could it be a dog ear infection or maybe something more serious? I have never had my own dog before and when I talked to my parents who have 2 they weren't sure whether dogs could even get ear infections.

[DBXD]

He has drop ear--only meaning his ears flop down. But are his ears smelly inside?>
I have alab too, a girl, and she has drop ears, her ears REAK and i am in the same boat you are in right now, this is what i learned from the internet to do, and its safe.:
take equal parts white vinegar, water and rubbing alcohol and pour some directly into her ear. do this for both ears. you can research this too if you want, but it is safe to do. dont ram anything in there just let it soak in there.

whats going on in there is that yeast can build up or bacteria because his ears drop down and dont allow proper air filtration---no air=static bacteria build up==STICKY EARS AND INFECTED!
try this method i desribed up top if your broke and cant go to the vet right away. the vet will give you drops for your dog if you wanna go that route. here is the web page i got my info from. gl!
LONG LIVE THE LAB!!!!!!!!!!!

[Heather's mom]

It could be an ear infection or ear mites. There are cleaning solutions that you put in the dog's ear and rub gently. I'd still get a vet to diagnose what the problem is before taking action though. They will look inside to make sure there aren't ear cysts or other problems.

[chase]

Yes they can get ear infections, you should take him to the Vet