Grass seed in ear...

[silke]

A little while ago, poor Charlie got a grass seed in his ear, which actually perforated his ear drum. We were on a long countrywalk, when he suddenly stopped and started scratching his ear. He then started screaming!  We obviously examined his ear, but couldn't see anything (we thought he might have got stung by a wasp.). At home then, he kept scratching, tilting his head to one side and it was obviously very painful when you tried to have a look. When we took him to the vet, they told us that there seemed to be something in his ear and that he'd have to have it removed. It actually turned out to have been a grass seed, which seemed to have perforated his ear drum! He needed a general anaesthetic to take it out (they gave it to us to take home afterwards  ). Poor boy wasn't very happy - he had to take antibiotics and painkillers. Luckily, he's fine now, but it seems to happen such a lot to dogs - I've heard it quite a lot recently - none of our other dogs (including a cocker!) ever had it.

[ladylola]

They are horrible things arn't they. I think Monty might have got one in his foot between his toes. [not sure what it is] He is going for an op on wednesday morning to find out.

[Lis]

Exactly the same thing happened to my 9 month old cocker, Dora, this morning.  Running through the woods when she started crying and shaking her head and walking with it tipped to one side.  I took her straight to the vets and they said it is a grass seed right down by her ear drum.  They are going to give her a general anaesthetic to remove it this morning.  Poor little girl, she was really brave at the vets and I hated leaving her there.  Definitely be having a special tea tonight!  I am sure I have read posts on here where some of you use "snoods" (or something similar!) around your spaniels heads.  I might try this as it would be nearly impossible to keep Dora away from any grass!

[jools]

I've stared using my snoods again. Silica is great for removing grass seeds, but i'd only use it in areas other than ears. When they get them in their ear is really is an emergency vet job.

Hope Dora is better soon. x

[silke]

What's snoods and silica?

[jools]

snoods are shower cap type things that you slip over their head to protect their ears. There are photos of them on here. Silica is a homeopathic medicine which expells foreign bodies and successfully got rid of a huge grass seed in my dog's leg last year.

[hamfam]

Lucy copped a grass seed in the ear on sunday - had to see the emergency vets, £188 later she is back to normal.

The seed was over 1" long - a bit of wild barley i think, she got it from a woodland walk as well, when i think of all the meadows she has been in it seems unbelieveable that she should get a seed in the woods

[Lis]

When I picked up Dora they had the seed waiting for me in a test tube - less of a seed more of a Jack and the beanstalk! I also had a bill to the tune of £194.  At which point I went straight home and bought some M &S insurance which I had been meaning to do for ages.  I have also ordred a snood although I suspect that Dora will give it short shrift.  She was whimpering quite a bit this morning (except when we were on our walk!) so I had to run up to the vets and get her some painkillers - I am hoping she just has a bit of a headache from yesterday.

[silke]

When they took Charlie's seed out of his ear, they gave it to us (in a little plastic bag). It was huge!! (As was the vet bill. )

[Lis]

I tried Dora in her snood last night and she didn't seem to mind at all! She did look like she was about to hop in to the shower though - all that was missing was a fluffy white towel!