Grass Seeds!

Does anyone else have a mega problem with these?

I have just recently(last two weeks)taken Titch to the vet to have a grass seeed removed from his ear under sedation(as we all know is not the best idea with a breed that is prone to heart problems)and hes only gone and got another grass seed stuck in his ear today!
This is the third year this has happened(third sedation and vets visit to remove grass seed grrr)

I have tried to take every precaution to avoid this yet I caught him rolling around in the grass earlier and between me catching him - him coming in - and me pulling two....yes two....grass seeds out of his ears,he has a problem

The vets last year shaved the inside of his ears and cut them really short

I wish I had done this again right after his vets visit this year

What should I be doing to prevent this which Im not....obviously we shall be making another vets trip to sedation alley which will be twice this year.

How can I stop or help stop this happening next year?

Surely I cant be the only one who has this problem

I'm sorry, but I am not quite following this. Do you mean in the ear canal itself?? Or stuck in the hair? Tybalt gets grass seed and other stuff in the hair under his ears but I just brush it off with my hand or take a brush to it. I don't understand how it can get stuck in such a way it requires sedation to remove it?

I've heard about grass seeds stuck in dogs feet causing abcesses, but never in the ears.

Right here at the beach we don't have alot of problems because we are just in an area of housing tracts with neatly trimmed grass yards and parks. I know that foxtails (not sure if the same thing as grass seeds in your area) are a real problem and can get imbedded in dogs ears in the states.

When traveling we keep to the trails and don't let her race through high wild grasses for this reason. They kind of look like wispy stalks of wheat in grassy areas and when they get in the ears, they work their way in and the fine prickles on them hold tight, requiring a visit to the vet.

I would just try to keep the area your dogs are in mowed short or keep them on lead when on walks in areas that do have high grasses. It is a real problem if they do get them. My vet has even seen bits of foxtail grass get hooked into the eye!

Yes,I was having more of a rant than asking a question I suppose.
Yes he does tend to get these foxtails(theyre also sometimes called `Flea Darts` in the UK)stuck in his ear canal - they get swept up by the long hair on his ears and then work their way into the ear from there Nightmare!
I guess youre right,Ive just got to keep him away from high grasses fullstop.Its just a shame the best field a couple of mins walk from me where I take him and let him off to have a good old sniff has high grasses all round the sides where the council dont mow
I wondered if maybe some vaseline(petroleum jelly)would be ok to smear on the rim of the inside of his ears and on the inside fur in the hope the grass seeds would just slide off and not take hold?

I also had big problem with this last year - both Cinders and Minnie had to have darts removed from inside their ears.
They both now wear a pop sock (with foot end cut off) over their heads - they may look silly but so far its worked!!!

We get that here,so i avoid the long grass and the fields this time of yr.Alfs had a splinter in his eye and the vet had real problems getting it out,hes ok now but its worrying.

I just noticed on the way back from our walk today the grass at this time of year only has to be one or two inches long to sprout grass seeds(so its not all my fault for not mowing often enough or letting him off the lead where there are potential grass seeds lurking!)

I am just so frustrated,I wanna take him out for the day this weekend but I need him to be fit to face the onslaught of traffic,tubes,trains and heavy petting :lol: