Kaiser is an 8 year old Boxer.
He was shaking his head for about 2 weeks after going for a walk and other dogs had been interested in his ear. An ear examination found a bristly structure in his right horizontal ear canal, multiple pieces of dry grass seeds and awns were removed from his ear canal under sedation.
“Spear grass” is a common term for grass awns and seeds with barbed fibrous structures. These seeds can become stuck in a pet’s fur, ears, eyes, nose and between the toes. The awns become lodged and cannot be removed by the pet, due to their barbed fibers. If they become stuck between a pet’s toes they may penetrate the skin and a painful abscess will form, which requires surgery to drain and heal. Be aware of grasses where you walk your dog, inspect your dog’s fur and paws after walks and monitor for signs like head shaking, squinting eyes, lameness or licking at paws.
