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Ben Charlton
In Common Complaints, Infectious Disease

Grass Seeds

Dogs running in grass

Queensland grasses are quite woody in comparison to southern grass types,  as a result, when the whether gets dry after we have had some rain. Grass’s go to “seed” – these seeds are often covered in small spines that allow them to stick to people and pets as they walk in our parks.   Without good preventative care  grass seeds can sneak their way into your pet’s paws, ears, nostrils, or eyes, and can cause some complicated health problems.

The best cure of course in prevention – after each walk hose brush your pet down with a comb to remove loose seeds and burrs.  Then rinse them off with plain old water.  

If grass seeds are not removed and are left untreated, they can cause some irritating issues. These can include:-

  • ear infections
  • abscess formation
  • ruptured eardrums
  • loss of an eye
  • or even an Aural Hematoma.

 

The most common presentation is an interdigital abscess

Treatment for grass seeds can be extremely complicated and often require an anesthetic.
Prevention is the key! To minimise the risk to your pet, we recommend the following;

  • Keep an eye on the length of your grass. Shorter grass is the best way to minimise the risk of grass seeds.
  • Check your pet daily for grass seeds. They could be hiding in their coat, toes, eyes, and ears!
  • Regularly groom your dog.
  • Avoid dry grass areas when taking your dog out.

If you suspect a grass seed might be bothering your pet, it is essential to see a vet as soon as possible to avoid further complications.

Call us on (07) 3357 1588. or book online today.

Ben Charlton
In Common Complaints, Infectious Disease

Pet Ear Care

Dog Sore Ear

Normal Canine ear

Of all the reasons a cat or dog requires a visit to the Veterinary Surgery, an ear problem is among the most common. Caring for a pet's ears does not need to be complicated, but they are not the same as a human ear and do require a little bit of TLC.

Their deep, curved ear canals make it difficult for air to get in and moisture to get out and moisture retained in the ear after swimming or bathing can often lead to infections. Spring and summer when it is hot and particularly when it is humid is the worst time of the year for ear infections. Not only are ear infections likely to occur but quite often they are difficult to cure.  In brisbane one of the most common underlying causes of ear problems is allergies, untreated it will lead to secondary complications.     Bacterial infestation, fungal infestation, ear mites and foreign bodies such as grass seeds are the also common causes of ear irritations.

Ten Important signs of Ear problems

It is important to know what early signs might indicate an infection so treatment can be started.

  1. Odour - bad odour coming from the ears
  2. Scratching at the ears
  3. Excessive discharge (usually yellow, brown or black)
  4. Inflammation - redness of the ear flap or canal
  5. Shaking the head or ears
  6. Obvious pain when touched around the head or ears
  7. Head tilted to one side or held down
  8. Stumbling or circling to one side
  9. Lethargy or depression
  10. Marked swelling of the ear flaps

If your dog or cat is showing any of these signs then a visit to the veterinarian is necessary, as there is a high likelihood an ear problem is present.

What can you do?

The best way to prevent ear problems is to establish a regular ear care program aimed at preventing such problems from developing.

Keep ears dry.  Ears should be dried thoroughly after bathing or swimming.

  1. Cleaning. A regular ear clean following your dog's bath using an alcohol-based ear cleaning solution such as Epi-Otic or Bayer Ear Cleaning solution will remove any dirt or wax buildup that may encourage infections. All of these cleaners are readily available over the counter at the surgery without consultation.
  2. Clipping/Plucking. It is important to clip or pluck the hair from around the ear canal. Dogs that do not shed hair such as Poodles, Schnauzers, Bichons, Labradoodles, Spoodles etc. often need to have hair plucked from the canals. This allows better air flow into the canal and prevents wax from being trapped thus reducing the chance an infection will develop.
  3. Controlling skin disease. Many ear infections are simply a continuation of a generalized skin condition such as bacterial or fungal infection. When this happens it is impossible to treat the ear infection without controlling the skin disease.

How to clean ears

Below is a general image on how to clean a dogs ears.  We have a range of cleaning products available.  One of which is a new product from Vetoquinol called Sonotix.