Baxter, a 5 year old mixed breed dog, came into the hospital one day on emergency for a sudden, painful left ear. He had never had an ear infection before, nor any ear issues his entire life. He just came in from outside, yelped in pain, and suddenly began tilting his head to the left and crying. I used an otoscope to look inside the ear canal, and it was as I feared, he had a grass seed head, sometimes also called a grass awn, in his ear canal. Mid to late summer is the time of year for these to get stuck in your pet’s coat, ears, and even under the skin. They have barbed hooks which allow them to attach and if they get in an ear canal, it can cause extreme sudden, extreme pain. So when the grasses are tall like they are now, this is the highest risk for this to happen. We recommend keeping your dogs out of the long grass this time of year. We treated Baxter and immediately his head tit resolved! We love when we get to help like this!

Other threats can also lurk in the long grass, such as what happened to another patient, Lucy, who actually suffered a painful, non-venomous snake bite on her paw, when she was visiting a ranch up near Steamboat Springs. So are there snakes at high elevations, don’t be fooled! Grass awns and snakes are just two of the dangers hiding in long grass, not to mention ticks, toxic mushrooms, or just dangerous hard to see glass or metal shards. And those tall grasses really irritate the skin of our short coated, more sensitive skinned dogs like pitties. So remember to do your best to minimize your dogs running in long grasses in the summer to help prevent all of these things from happening to them.

I have a mixed breed dog with sensitive skin, and he gets very irritated this time of year. What really helps him is my Aloe Pet Wipes, which I use on his sensitive areas, like on his belly and armpits, when he comes in from outside. Not only does it help him smell great, but it cleans the pollen, dirt and other irritants from off of his skin, and helps him to remain cool and comfortable in what can sometimes be irritating heat. We hope your pets never experience any of these. But if they do, we are here to help!

In ResqRanch news, we have two of our 3 day horse training clinics behind us, and two more on the way. So if you were considering joining a class, with either our horses or yours, you still have time. The first clinic was just me simply re-teaching my Horse Training Masterclass, live, and greatly expanded, since of course it’s a 3 hour course normally, but I taught it over 3 days expanding on many of the original topics after all I have learned about even better, and easier ways to teach positive reinforcement, after now having had regular volunteers for over 2 years. 

That was a lot of fun, and had to be done to ensure all the participants had all the basics down before moving on to the next 3 day clinic, which was all about horse training, the really fun stuff! This one we called the R+ ReBoot Camp, as it was getting previously trained horses who had been idle for some time, and reintroducing them to the idea of all the basics. Naked grooming, basic target training, lunging in side reins, and of course riding. It was super fun for both us, and the horses. In fact, so much so that one gelding got so excited that he was back in training again, that he actually…well, let’s just say he showed what a virile boy he is! Now that is the power of positive reinforcement, has your method of horse training ever caused your horse to get THAT excited? Sound like it’s not even in the realm of reality, doesn’t it? But it’s true. When animals have a choice, the entire process becomes super fun for them, and you too!

 If a strong reaction like that from a horse, who gets THAT excited about restarting training,  makes you curious about what this positive reinforcement stuff is all about,  then don’t miss one of our next 3 day training clinics. We have 1 spot left in the next one, and only 2 spots left in the August clinic. We purposely keep classes small as they are individually tailored to the experience and learning needs of the participants. For more information, please email us at info@resqranch.org or check the details on our website. 
We hope you have a wonderful rest of your summer with your pets, no matter how you spend it, just be safe and healthy. If you need us, we are here. And if you want to take your relationship with your horse to the next level, don’t miss your chance to join us for one of our remaining summer clinics. So grateful, as always, for your support, and for reading.

Wishing you all the best!

 -- DrQ and the Crew of Aspen Park Vet and the ResqRanch