Is it true that dogs can get ear infections from water entering their ear canals during bathing?
Water in a dog’s ear canal can predispose it to infection. This is why we place cotton balls in the ear openings prior to bathing to block water from entering the ear, and then remove the cotton and clean the ears following the bath. However, most ear infections in dogs are caused from issues having nothing to do with water exposure during grooming. Floppy-eared dogs tend to have more ear problems than upright-eared dogs because air exchange is restricted by their ear flaps and an unhealthy amount of humidity will result which can create an environment for infection.
