Thursday, March 1, 2012

A Hole In One (Ear, that is….)

Luna

Last week I made a comment that the hole in Luna's ear was becoming more noticeable as the fur on her ear was graying. I saw that Mary C then questioned (in the "What Say You?" area) if I worried that Luna would get a toenail caught in that little hole. Well, that made me realize that I should write a blog about that very issue.

This has, in fact, happened one time. It was very scary for sure. Luna was scratching her ear with her front paw (oddly enough as they almost always scratch with their rear paws) when suddenly we noticed that she was tangled within herself and one of her nails was indeed caught in that little hole. We had to act quickly and bend her paw to her head more closely so as to unloop her ear from her foot. Truthfully we did start to panic a bit because we had been long concerned that this very thing would at some point happen and that she would catch her nail and slice her ear clean through.

(Excuse my gagging as I write this because the mere thought of this is extremely disturbing to me and I literally gag a little bit each time I consider the consequences of her getting her nail caught in there.....)

Anyway, this happened this one time and not since then. We regularly ponder the best method of how to seal up that little hole. We thought about everything from snapping a snap through it to covering it with a band aid or a piece of tape. Anything we considered seemed like it would just draw more irritation to her thus encouraging her to scratch it, loosening whatever device we implanted there and ultimately causing her to then more seriously get a nail snagged in the hole. No solution seemed to be an adequate remedy. So, we have opted to just leave it alone and hope for the best.

While we crafted a raised food bowl to accommodate for her slipped disks in her neck and back we have not been able to devise a perfect workaround for her ear hole concern. Any ideas from the peanut gallery?

Comment Page 1 of 1 pages

Sue VDB

03/01/2012

Hi sweet Luna.
‘
Sorry, I have nothing, but questions. Does her vet have any solutions or know another vet who could help with this? I can see the scariness of this. What if you were not home and this happened? Would some type of plastic surgery help?

I am more about questions than solutions, but the only thing I can come up with is plastic surgery.

I’m interesting in seeing what solutions the other OBPers have in mind.

Pat

03/01/2012

Aww Luna, sweetie, just hate the thought that you might catch a toe nail in that hole and tear your precious ear.
I was thinking about plastic surgery as well, if the vet could recommend something that would work.
You have such a tiny face, you cutie! xo

Penny

03/01/2012

I think you should find a nice big diamond earring to fit it. And maybe a necklace to match! Diamonds are a girls best friend!

sue states

03/01/2012

I think asking your vet if having a skin graft would work. I have thought about what many ‘what if’s’ for my gang and it has brought me to tears at times. Hope your net will have some good ideas for sweet Luna. Pug hugs from the Colorado 4

Kathleen

03/01/2012

Sweet Luna knows that Mama Corrine will take care of her little girl. My suggestion would be to use a little piece of tape on the hole even if it had to be changed often. It would be less stressful than surgery , no doubt, especially for a Pug. I see that the breeders and show people put tape on their Puggers ears all the time and it doesn’t seem to bother them. Surgical tape doesn’t pull the hair either.
The key is to keep Sweet Luna as comfy as possible.
I vote for the tape!

Kathleen

03/01/2012

PS….....
My Lab rescue had ear infections for a long time. Due to her heavy ear flaps and no air circulation in the ears caused the infection to worsen. After many trips to the vet’s office, and many attmpts at trying to keep the ear flaps up, the vet took super glue and glued the ears together on top of her head! Viola’
It doesn’t hurt the dogs’ ears one bit and the glue wears off after a week or two. Maybe Luna’s ear hole could be filled with a few drops of super glue.

Gina

03/01/2012

I’m with Penny ~ My first thought was ‘diamonds’.

But maybe the tape if it was just a little bit, it wouldn’t bother her and cause her to scratch at it.

She is so sweet though. What a love little Looney Tunes. Big smooches to you and your brothers and QP too!

Pug Hugs from Bella (Susie dog (yes she is still here)) & me.

sue

03/01/2012

I can just imagine how scarey this was for you Corrine I would have been in panic modeI don’t have any suggestions but I do like the idea of diamonds it would fit Luna perfect

Martha

03/01/2012

Wow, that is a scary scenario.

The only idea I can think of is could your vet possibly stitch it together as if it was an incision. Perhaps it could grow together?

Christie Sachde

03/01/2012

Maybe the vet could just sew it up…like they do with women who have stretched their piercing???

Lex

03/01/2012

I am with Kathleen.. what about super glue? You would just need to make sure you don’t glue her ear to her head.

It won’t hurt and if you put some in the hole everyday for a week or so, it should eventually fill the hole up?

Mary Ann

03/01/2012

The idea of a dogs ears glued together on top of their head-I can’t imagine they care much for it. LOL

I can’t see the whole in Luna’s ear so this might be crazy but, can they open it up so it’s a slit and not a hole? Not cosmetically but, I too get woozy at the thought of a toenail caught in the ear and the panic that would ensue for her. Whew, glad I’m sitting down.

Don’t breeders use superglue to “set” a puppies ears?

Kathleen

03/01/2012

I suggested the tape / super glue because I thought it was a better alternative rather than a surgical procedure. I don’t like the thought of putting a Pug or any animal under anethesia unless absolutely necessary. I’m a nervouse wreck every year when my babies have their dentals done.

mary castagnoli

03/02/2012

Surgical glue or “super glue” is used to seal shut a lot of skin separations rather than stitches. This is what I had in mind when I initially raised the concern. I’d check w/my vet first, definitely. But think if the area could be sealed shut that way, it would be better than catching that hole with her paw.
Sorry to be so slow responding, but I’ve been out of pocket most of the week.

Lisa

03/02/2012

What about an ear plug, like you see people wearing that deliberately stretch out their ear holes? It can be removed for cleaning, but would keep her from catching it with a nail. And they screw in, so it wouldn’t fall out.

Mary Ann

03/02/2012

No, I wouldn’t put her under for it, but perhaps a local anesthetic could be used for the hole, not whole, in her ear. I forgot to proofread myself. Or if she’s getting a dental,do it while she is under. Or put her in booties/socks when no one is watching her? Personally, my imagination can think of all sorts of things that a pug might get in trouble with, it’s a wonder I let them out of my sight.

Esmeralda

03/02/2012

Did you know Super-Glue was originally used in battle fields to seal wounds? Sadly, I don’t have any new ideas to offer, but I do think that a skin graft sounds wonderful.

Lilo N me (Aka Gwen)

03/04/2012

Well Luna I just heard that head scarves are all the rage this year on the doggy red carpet. That’ll keep your ears under cover from getting caught.

I actually have nothing extra to add to the mosh pit of ideas here. I do certainly prefer a couple of them being the idea of a diamonds for sure, a plug, or like others have mentionned suturing the hole closed when Luna should be under anesthetic for another procedure. Those would be my votes in no particular order.

Some great brainstorming gang!

Love and pug hugs from Lilo n Me n Tux.

Comment Page 1 of 1 pages

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