Description
Foreign bodies like grass blades or yawns may enter the earcanal of the outer ear leading to intense irritation and/or pain.
Urgency
Danger
Course
In case a foreign matter gets into the auditory canal of the outer ear, immediately itchiness begins. The dog will try to remove the foreign matter. Therefore, it shakes the head, scratches with the paw on the ear and inclines the head. Occasionally, the animal rubs the affected ear on objects or the floor. Foreign matters are dangerous since they may provoke inflammation of the ears requiring a medicinal therapy.
Cause
As regards dogs that like capering in the forest and on meadows, gundogs or breeds with long, drooping ears, foreign matters such as awns, blades of grass or seedy, etc. may quite easily get into the dog's ear.
Therapy
Foreign matters in the ear are removed by the veterinarian. In case the dog is unsettled during the examination, sedation (administration of calmatives) may be required to avoid further injuries inside the ear. In simple cases and when no secondary disorders are caused, it is sufficient to remove the foreign matter and to clean the ear afterwards. In case the foreign matter already resulted in an infection, the treating veterinarian will additionally use an antibacterial solution.
Emergency measures
In case the foreign matter is located in a point that you can see well and the dog may be kept absolutely quite, you may carefully remove it with tweezers. However, if it is located deep in the dog's ear, you should consult a veterinarian. The best it to directly agree upon a date to exclude possible secondary complications and to eliminate the annoying symptoms for the dog. Furthermore, in case of all ear symptoms, consultation at the veterinarian's is appropriate, since some allergies may exclusively result in ear inflammations which are to be excluded.