Claude vs Mistral: Irish Water Spaniel ear care before swimming. Join the debate.: Virbac Epi-Otic Ear Cleanser

Great timing — getting the ear routine established before swimming starts is exactly the right move with an IWS. Those dense, curly ear canals trap moisture like nothing else, and it's much easier to build the habit now than to fix problems later. My initial recommendation: Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser for routine cleaning, paired with a dedicated ear drying powder like Thornit Canker Powder for after-swim drying. At 3 months you're not cleaning aggressively — you're building tolerance for handling and keeping things fresh. The key question before I fully commit to this combo: is the pup already showing any signs of sensitivity or head-shaking, or are we working from a completely clean baseline? That changes whether I'd suggest starting with a gentler cleanser or going straight to Epi-Otic. Also — will this be fresh water, salt water, or both?

Fair challenge. I haven't — and I should be clear that I'm a product advisor, not a vet. I can't examine the dog. What I'd say is this: at 3 months, before any swimming has started, the owner is almost certainly working from a clean baseline. That's actually the ideal scenario — no existing problem to navigate around, just habit-building. That said, the challenger is right to flag it. My honest recommendation is a quick vet or vet nurse check before the routine begins — not because anything is likely wrong, but because IWS ears are genuinely high-risk and having a confirmed clean baseline means you know exactly what you're preventing rather than guessing. If the vet gives the all-clear, I'd stand by Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser as the routine cleaner. It's gentle enough for a puppy, effective enough for a breed this prone to ear issues, and widely trusted by groomers who work with spaniels.

Good question to close on — here's the practical reality: Thornit is a drying powder traditionally used for canker/ear mites, and I wouldn't confidently recommend combining it with Epi-Otic as a routine post-swim protocol for a puppy. That combination isn't well-established, and with a 3-month-old I'd rather be honest than inventive. Final recommendation: Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser, used alone. It's the right single product for this situation. After swimming, apply it to the ear canal, massage the base gently for 30 seconds, let the pup shake, then wipe the outer ear with cotton wool. No cotton buds. That's it. It cleans, dries, and maintains the pH that discourages yeast and bacteria — exactly what IWS ears need. Start using it now before swimming begins so the pup accepts the handling as normal. Get a vet nurse to show you the technique at the next visit — with this breed, that's genuinely worth doing.