4 Steps To Take When Your Dog Has A Foreign Object In Its Ear
Dogs love to go exploring while they're outside. Unfortunately, their natural curiosity can get them into trouble. If your dog has come inside shaking its head and scratching at its ears, it might have gotten something lodged inside its ear canal. Things like bugs, burrs, and even pieces of grass can find their way inside your dog's ears. When they do, they can make your dog downright uncomfortable. Here are four steps you should take if your dog has a foreign object lodged in its ear.
Restrain Your Dog
If your dog has a foreign object in its ear, it might not want to sit still for you. In order to help your dog, you'll need to restrain it. The first thing you should do is apply a muzzle. You can muzzle your dog by tying a soft piece of cloth around your dog's nose. The muzzle will prevent your dog from biting you, which it might do once you start working on its ears. Next, have a second person stand behind your dog and hold it steady.
Remove the Reachable Parts
After you have your dog restrained, you can start removing the foreign object. Carefully lift up on the ear flap to provide you with a better view of the inner ear. Shine a flashlight into the ear canal. Once you locate the object, use a pair of tweezers to carefully pull it from the ear.
Rinse the Ear
Once the object has been removed from your dog's ear, you'll need to clean the affected area. Use a sterile saline contact solution to flush out the ear. Spray a small amount of saline solution into your dog's ear and massage the base of the ear. After you've massaged the ear, use a cotton ball to wipe the saline solution out of the ear.
See the Vet
Sometimes foreign objects can get lodged deep inside your dog's ear. When that happens, you'll need to see the veterinarian. They'll be able to reach deeper into the ear to retrieve the object. If your dog develops ear pain, become lethargic, or they have a smelly discharge coming from their ear, you'll need to contact an emergency vet. The foreign object may have caused an ear infection to develop.
If your dog has something stuck in its ear, you'll need to remove it. Use the simple steps provided here to remove the object and clean the area. Be sure to contact your veterinarian if you're unable to remove the object.
