Walks through natural areas, vacations in rural areas or a short visit to the town to de-stress from the hustle and bustle of big cities represent excellent opportunities for pets to enjoy fresh air. Walking or playing in places with tall grass, trees and plants everywhere may sound idyllic and fun. However, unfortunately it comes with some risks. One of them is that the dog can stick a spike into itself, with all the consequences that this entails, especially if the owner does not realize it in the first place.
The spikes have a shape similar to that of a harpoon, so it is very easy for them to get stuck to the dogs' fur. Also, the longer a dog's fur is, the harder it can be to notice it's there. And, depending on the area in which it has been stuck, it will also be a more or less complicated task to extract it. For all these reasons, the spikes pose a real risk to the health of dogs, so it is not recommended to walk or play in spaces where they can be found. And always thoroughly check the animal's fur after walks.
There are three parts of the dog's body where it is most common for spikes to adhere, these are the nose, ear and paw. Since dogs orient themselves and explore largely through their sense of smell, it won't be difficult for them to end up with a spike in their nose. This could be easily identified if the dog begins to show symptoms such as not stopping sneezing and having itching in the area. Additionally, he may become nervous and try to scratch himself constantly. A clear warning sign is a runny nose and blood coming out of the nose. In these cases, the safest thing is to go to the veterinarian to remove the spike.
Another very common and dangerous place is the ears. In this case, dogs with long, drooping ears, such as Golden Retrievers or Cockers, are more likely to have this happen. When it happens to them, they usually shake their head and tilt it towards the side that hurts, as this can cause a wound that becomes infected and even leads to otitis. It should not be taken lightly, because all this can end in irreversible deafness. It is recommended to visit the veterinarian to remove it.
Spikes on the legs are very common, relatively easy to identify and also to remove. Often, dogs that have a spike stuck in their paw, usually between the toes or in the pad area, tend to limp or hold the affected paw up. If it is in other parts of the paw, they tend to lick themselves often. In any case, the proper way to remove the spike is to remove the hair to leave the spike clearly visible and carefully extract it using tweezers.
