When temperatures rise and spring arrives, we feel more like taking long walks with our dogs outdoors, in parks or fields. The problem we find at this time are the spikes of grass.
The spikes are the pods that cover the seeds of cereals, which have an elongated shape and end in a point. The problem appears when they get stuck anywhere of our furry and we can't detect them, since some are so thin that they can't be seen with the naked eye. In this article on our site we are going to give you the keys on spikes and dogs, their precautions and how to remove them,so that when the time comes for these undesirable weeds you will know how to act so that it does not affect your furry on your walks.
Caution, fundamental in summer
When the grasses begin to dry out and turn yellow, problems begin with the spikes, since these can be loosened more easily with any friction. The best way to prevent our dog from getting pricked by one is the simplest: avoiding places where there is very long grass and spikes.
However, sometimes, due to the place of residence, it is impossible to walk the dog in a place free of spikes, so we must take other measures. Dogs can get a spike anywhere on their body, due to their fur and because they have a tendency to get into the weeds, which causes the spike to go deeper and deeper into the skin. To avoid this, we can cut our dog's hair when spring arrives, so that the spikes that stick to it are visible to the naked eye.
After a walk in the countryside it is a good idea to brush and check our dog's body. In the areas where the pins are most often stuck is in the padsor between the fingers. In this case we will see the dog limping and licking its pads.
How to remove surface spikes
Below we are going to offer you the guidelines you need to know so that you will be able to remove the ones that get stuck in your best friend's skin:
After a walk in the countryside we should check our dog and look for spikes that may have stuck in it. If we see any we can extract it with tweezers to avoid breaking it and then apply a soothing spray or cream so that it doesn't feel itchy and doesn't scratch or lick it, so otherwise the area could ignite.
If we don't see the spike or it breaks when trying to remove it, it could get completely under the skin and cause aforeign body granuloma In this case we would see the red, inflamed area that can become infected and suppurate. We should take the dog to the vet to have the spike removed by simple surgery and disinfect the wound.
Remove the pins from the holes
Sometimes the spikes get stuck in the most unexpected places, even getting into the eyes, nose or ears. In these cases we will take the dog to the vet to have it removed safely, because if we try to do so we could introduce it even more and worsen the situation.
- Ojos: if the spike gets behind the eyelid it will cause great pain and inflammation, damaging the cornea and producing an ulcer. If it is not treated quickly, the dog can go blind, so we will have to go to the vet urgently to remove it with eye drops and anesthetics.
- Nariz: if the spike gets into the nose the dog will start sneezing non-stop, even bleeding. It will start hitting its snout insistently with its paw to try to get it out. Sometimes it comes out with the force of a sneeze, but if not, we'll have to go to the vet.
- Ear: Dogs with long, floppy ears tend to have a lot of problems with spikes in this area. The spike enters the ear and causes great pain. The dog will constantly shake its head and tilt it to the side that hurts, as if it had otitis; In this other article we talk in depth about the symptoms of canine otitis. If the spike pierces the eardrum it can cause irreparable damage, such as deafness in the dog, so we will immediately take it to the vet to have it removed with special tweezers.
