Need advice on preventing ear infections in my water obsessed ALD!

[Wendy and Sully]

I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on preventing recurring ear infections. We have a pool in the backyard and a beach nearby and Sully is in the water every chance he can get. He throws his toys in the pool and then takes running leaps from the side which usually results in his head being underwater for a few seconds with each dive. The vet suggested swabbing the inside of his ears with alcohol when he gets out of the pool and using a product like Oxyfresh ear cleaner once a week. I've been doing that, but it's not helping. The hair has been clipped under his ears as well as the on the inside of the ear leather. I use ear power and hemostats to keep the ear canal clean from stray hair. Is there anything that can be put in their ears before swimming that would prevent water from seeping in? Has anyone found a good product for drying water that is in the ear canal? If I keep him out of the water and treat the ear infection it clears up, but as soon as he's allowed back in, he begins having problems. He loves to swim and I hate to take that away from him, but I'm afraid that he'll permanently damage his ears with these recurring ear infections. Does anyone have any advice?

[BG and Gavin]

I got this advice from another DKer a couple of years ago and it has worked well for us.  After swimming I use my hair dryer on a low setting and blow dry Gavin's ears inside and out.  Additionally every time I am drying my own hair and he is around I give him a little drying too.  We have not had an ear infection in ages (touch wood). 

[Wendy and Sully]

Thanks, I'll definitely give that a try.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Rinsing the ears with Epi-Otic is what I do after the dogs have been in the water. It has a surfactant that keeps the water from staying in the ears.

[Christine & Shelby]

I use Epi-Otic with my water obsessed ALD... however, she doesn't have nearly the access yours does.  Since I began using the Epi-Otic after each swim at the park or in the creeks... not one ear infection!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

DITTO...every time I bathe Gracie Doodle or she swims I put Epi-Otic in her ears and she is almost 5 years old and never an ear infection!!!

[Lee Seidman]

We live in Florida and have two Doodles.  Billy is a full size and loves the water.  Watch the attached Video.  We use Thornit powder, a small amount in each ear weekly,  and have not had an ear problem in three years now. It really works.  As I look out back he is in the pool swimming right now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5OAkSgXpCQ

[Wendy and Sully]

I have TEP ear powder and after googling Thornit, I think it might be the same thing. I purchased it when Sully was just a puppy, but have rarely used it. When I mentioned it to my vet, she advised against using it saying that it would just cake inside the ear canal. After that conversation I was confused and nervous about using it. Maybe I'll give it a try, but not sure if I should wait for the current ear infection to clear up first. Love your photo :-) Do you find that your dog takes forever to dry after swimming? Do you usually hose him off afterwards? We've started applying conditioner to his fur before he goes in and it's help to protect it and keep it soft despite the chlorine.

[Lee Seidman]

We usually wait until his last swim of the day then hose him off with fresh water.  We let him partially air dry and then we had to purchase a commercial dog groomer dryer and blow him dry.  With two Doodles it would just take too long to dry them off. We did learn that the only way to keep him out of the pool was to place a baby fence near the steps.  It seems that he knows he can't get out when the fence blocks the steps. The second we move the fence he is again in the water. He will swim for a while then just sit on the steps with a ball in his mouth until we call him. 

[BG and Gavin]

Vet Solution is the one I use as well.

[Wendy and Sully]

My daughter just sent me a link for a product called Aqua Bandit. It's a band that wraps around the dog's head to prevent water from entering the ears when they're swimming. I never heard of this product before. Does anyone here have any experience using one of these? http://www.aquabandit.com/index.html

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Can you use swimmer's ear - a product for human swimmers?  It is mostly alcohol though.  Can you clip his ears up in a scrunchy to let the air flow - maybe at night?

[Wendy and Sully]

Someone else had mentioned perhaps using the drops for swimmer' ear. I was going to check with the vet tomorrow to see if that was a safe alternative. If so, it's worth a shot. We've tried putting his ears in a ponytail on top of his head and he won't have any part of it.

I appreciate all the good suggestions.