Dog Ear DiseasesA dog's greatest pleasure is to run freely thorough open prairie during summer. Say you've unleashed him and he goes off full of life and joy, but returns howling and grunting with his head low and shaking it violently. What's happened? This is most probably a sign that a strange object has entered his ear. Strange objects in the dog's ear conduct: It is usually a straw, twig or spike (of wheat or corn, for example) that has entered his ear. With the dog's movements, it has gone farther in. This can cause so much pain that you could even think it is an attack of apoplexy (a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain).
How to prevent it: The danger is greater when there are a lot of these little straws or spikes growing in the field, especially in summer and fall. Some dogs, especially long-eared ones, seem to draw the spikes like a magnet. Keep a close eye on your dog's ears during your walk because the straws or spikes go down the ear conduct quite slowly, so you have time to take them out, initially.
Important: the extraction of the spikes is a task which should be left up to the veterinarian, The dog suffers a lot, and the longer you wait, the more complicated the extraction can get.
Suggestion: Before going out, stick some cotton balls in your dog´s ears. But you must do it firmly; otherwise, they might fall out at the slightest shake of the head. |
