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Swimmers and floppy ears: the moisture problem
Why water changes the ear
The ear canal's L shape already limits airflow; a heavy flap closes it further. Add water from a swim and the canal bottom stays wet and warm - the exact microclimate in which the ear's resident yeast and bacteria multiply. The open-access research literature lists moisture as a core predisposing factor for otitis externa and calls out swimming as a behavior-related risk. Cornell is blunt about it: warm, moist canals grow yeast and bacteria, and it is a bigger problem for drop-eared dogs like Labradors and Golden Retrievers.
What the records say about ear shape
The largest look at this question - O'Neill and colleagues' study of UK primary-care vet records - quantified what vets see daily. About 7.3% of dogs were diagnosed with otitis externa in a single year, and ear carriage was among the strongest risk factors. The breeds with the highest odds against the crossbred baseline:
| Breed | Odds of ear inflammation (vs crossbred dogs) |
|---|---|
| Basset Hound | 5.87x |
| Chinese Shar Pei | 3.44x |
| Labradoodle | 2.95x |
| Beagle | 2.54x |
| Golden Retriever | 2.23x |
Poodle types as a group had 1.91 times the odds of non-poodle types (hair-filled canals play a role), and spaniel types 1.24 times non-spaniel types. Ear shape was one association in this study, not a prediction for every dog. If your dog is on this list, none of it is a verdict - it is a nudge toward consistency.
The after-swim routine
- Dry the ear you can see. After swimming, gently dry the flap and canal opening with a towel, then wipe the opening with a cotton ball, as Cornell advises.
- Skip the deep reach. Drying means the entrance and inner flap - nothing goes down the canal.
- Watch the next two days. Shaking, scratching, or a new odor after a swim week is the pattern worth logging and mentioning to your vet.
- Ask about a drying cleaner if swims are frequent. For regular swimmers, some vets recommend a specific drying ear cleaner after water days - that choice belongs to your vet, who knows your dog's canals and eardrums.
Bath time counts too
Swimming is not the only water source. Baths, hosing off muddy legs, even heavy rain walks wet the ears. Cotton balls placed loosely at the canal opening during a bath (and removed after) keep splash-out, and the same quick dry afterward applies. What matters is that wet ears do not stay wet for hours.
Make it a logged habit
Risk only turns into prevention when the routine actually happens. A regular look plus a note after every swim takes under a minute with the ear-check routine log, and the printout gives your vet a real history instead of a guess. If you are already seeing repeat flare-ups, read chronic ear issues - recurring infections can have an underlying driver worth investigating.