# MYSTERY SOLVED! Sudden head shaking and a very miserable Peggy :(



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

We were mid-walk when Peggy suddenly started shaking her head. She was begging us for help, but we couldn’t see anything. Every minute or so, we’d stop, pull out our phone flashlights, and examine her all over. Nothing. It soon became apparent it’s likely her right ear. We can’t see anything in there, and although she still desperately wants our help, she no longer wants it touched.

It’s 5:40pm here, on a Saturday. We are on vacation, away from home, so don’t have access to our usual vet. I’m so torn between waiting until tomorrow and taking her to an emergency vet now. She’s shaking her head every five minutes or so, rather than constantly, but that could be because of fatigue. Her eyes keep closing. 

Moments before the head shaking started, we saw her sniffing an area which was full of foxtails and quickly moved her away.

I don’t want to assume that’s what it is. But it would be a weird coincidence. I’m unsuccessfully googling right now, trying to find information on how quickly foxtails can travel into the ear canal. No luck so far.

(Peggy has never had an ear infection before and there is no smell or gunk that would suggest that’s what this is.)


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)




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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

Oh poor Peggy!! You could call the local emergency vet and get their advice as well as a sense of how busy they are?


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

I had zero knowledge of foxtail grass and its hazards. Hopped right onto Google after seeing this.

Poor Peggy. And you. I second the advice above. I’d call just to see what’s suggested over the phone, for my own peace of mind.


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## ShamrockPoodle (Jan 22, 2017)

Hoping you can get someone to check her ear and hope Peggy feels better soon!!!


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## MaizieFrosty (Apr 12, 2019)

This wouldn’t be a question for me – – I would get her right in! When fox tails migrate, they can be extremely dangerous not to mention painful. Poor Peggy 😩 Hope this gets resolved very soon and she feels better!


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## Apricot mini momma (Dec 22, 2020)

Poor Peggy 😢

it’s too bad you can’t get a look into her ear. I agree about the foxtail though, if it is that they move so fast. Especially if she was shaking her head.
I concur, call at least see if they can take a quick look!


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## SteveS55 (7 mo ago)

I'm sorry about Peggy. It's probably her ear. I took my last dog to an emergency vet for the same reason. They fixed her right up. Good luck!


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

I would be finding an emergency vet also. It’s not like you’re going to have a lot of options tomorrow with it being Sunday.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Hope you can get Peggy some help soon - thoughts and prayers


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## Pavie (May 4, 2021)

Poor Peggy! I had no idea about how dangerous foxtails are. I hope she recovers soon.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

No advice but I wish you luck! Praying for Peggy 🙏!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I’m hoping Peggy could get some relief. What a bummer.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Poor Peggy. 😔
Hope things get figured out quickly. I’m praying for Peggy too.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Hopefully it's not a foxtail in the ear. Here's a video showing a vet removing one. Apparently we don't have them on the east coast. I've never even heard of them. Nasty things. Best of luck to you and Peggy.


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## beowoof (Dec 6, 2021)

fingers crossed for you and Peggy! 🤞


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## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

I'm so sorry. Poor Peggy  Hoping to hear some good news soon that this is all resolved.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I too would get to the vet as soon as possible. The longer whatever it is in there the worse it is going to get, and the sudden onset and rapid progression sound very like a grass seed. My mother's dog once got one in her ear - not as big as the US foxtail but very nasty even so.

(I suspect you are already at the vets - if so I hope all goes well and Peggy is more comfortable.)


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Hoping to hear the "all clear" soon.


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## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

Happy presented the same symptoms with her recent ear infection, but she had an odor and discharge. I bet a foxtail or some.kind of burr is the culprit. I hope you find a good emergency vet soon. Please let us know how it goes. Prayers for Peggy.


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Hoping for the best. After reading about foxtail I would definitely have her checked by a vet


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Oh no. I hope you figured out a plan.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Looking forward to reading your “all good” post PtP. How are you all doing now?


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

How To Spot And Remove Dangerous Foxtails From Your Dog


Foxtails is a generic name for many types of long grasses. They look nice, but are very dangerous to your dog. Here's what to look out for.




www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com





If i suspect foxtail in ear, likely I would go to vet, but this article does have some suggestions. Last week Jett began shaking his head a lot, we do not have foxtails in yard so I pulled out a litthair that was sticking into his ear canal and then cleaned his ear with solution. He did shake a bit more later that day but then was ok. I think his may have been some hair or just grass seed and it washed out.
Hope Peggy is better.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

A tick in the ear canal is another possible cause. If you can see it, you can fill the ear with olive oil - that will smother the tick and it will let go. This is an outside procedure unless you want olive oil shaken out all over the house.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I appreciate you all so much.

We called the two open emergency vets. My first choice said we’d have at least a four-hour wait, which would bring us right to their closing time. The other said to make sure our phones were charged because it would be a long wait. Both were nice. Neither could advise us in any way over the phone. They couldn’t even tell us if it sounded like an emergency or not.

At this point, Peggy was barely shaking her head anymore. I’d previously seen that video Tom shared and knew they’d likely sedate her and scope her ear, and that the experience is painful. This isn’t something I take lightly, so we decided to continue to observe her, knowing one clinic was open all night and others would open in the morning, giving us more options.

She played with her toys before bed, chewed a bully, and slept through the night without a peep. We’ve seen only two head shakes in 12 hours. I can manipulate her ear again with no reaction from her. She’s no longer seeking our help or looking worried or uncomfortable.

One thing I remembered as we were debating the emergency vet last night (and ohhh did we debate ) was that I’d done a small afternoon clean-up of some of her hair, using my husband’s clippers: a little under each eye, _and a little on the side of her face, just before her ears_. She was panting before we even started our walk, and we both wondered if something was bugging her.

Another factor in our decision: Peggy’s groomer believes in plucking only as much ear hair as absolutely necessary. This means Peggy has a good amount of hair in her ears. It seems really unlikely that an insect or foxtail would just disappear into that hair in a matter of minutes.

All that said...

We’re still watching her closely and could decide at any moment to take her in. But she couldn’t be acting more normal right now. She went for her morning walk, had a good romp, ate breakfast, and is now sleeping with her head in my lap. She hasn’t so much as twitched her ear.


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## ShamrockPoodle (Jan 22, 2017)

Whew!!! Glad she’s feeling better!!! Also—I was unaware of foxtails being a hazard—so we will be on the lookout. We have sand spurs here in Florida—and Sego palm trees to watch out for. Glad for you all!!!


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Sounds like you've got things checked. Hope it's just a scare


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

ShamrockPoodle said:


> Whew!!! Glad she’s feeling better!!! Also—I was unaware of foxtails being a hazard—so we will be on the lookout. We have sand spurs here in Florida—and Sego palm trees to watch out for. Glad for you all!!!


I believe it’s just a west coast thing, but yeah, they’re scary! They blend in with other long grasses, so we didn’t even notice them along the path until we saw two in Peggy’s top knot. Her dense poodle hair did a good job trapping them at the surface.

I’ve seen two more head shakes since posting this, but that patch of hair I clipped in front of her ear is very bristly. It could very well be the culprit.

Will continue to keep an eye on her.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Minie said:


> Sounds like you've got things checked. Hope it's just a scare


I hope so, too. I don’t ever want to subject her unnecessarily to painful medical procedures, or the trauma of a long wait at a strange and chaotic emergency clinic, but it’s so hard when they can’t tell you what’s wrong!

She so patiently let us examine her when it first started yesterday. At least I know she’ll always come to us when she needs help. We were on a busy path and she didn’t care about any of the activity around her. She was tuned right into us. So many admiring glances from passers-by who thought we had the most docile, well-behaved poodle.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Im wondering if she could have been stung by an ant or other insect? They sting for awhile and could explain how things happened. I might give her a Benadryl just in case and keep watching.


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I hope so, too. I don’t ever want to subject her unnecessarily to painful medical procedures, or the trauma of a long wait at a strange and chaotic emergency clinic, but it’s so hard when they can’t tell you what’s wrong!
> 
> She so patiently let us examine her when it first started yesterday. At least I know she’ll always come to us when she needs help. We were on a busy path and she didn’t care about any of the activity around her. She was tuned right into us. So many admiring glances from passers-by who thought we had the most docile, well-behaved poodle.


It's not an ideal situation. However avoiding unnecessary stress is absolutely a priority. Yesterday Matteo chased a lab into the brush. The lab came out clean and Matteo with at least two hundred burrs on each leg, the same on his belly and ears were beyond counting. Two hours later after meticulous brushing, I thought I had got it all out. In the evening he kept giving my husband his paws, and what do you know - more burrs between his toes. I can't believe how patient and clever poodles are.
Peggy just knows here the honey help comes from.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Oooff - that's a relief! I absolutely understand avoiding a just-in-case visit in those circumstances. To those in areas without actual foxtail seeds it is still important to be careful - many other grass species have long, sharp seeds with hooks and burs that can work themselves under the skin or into ears etc.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

N2Mischief said:


> Im wondering if she could have been stung by an ant or other insect? They sting for awhile and could explain how things happened. I might give her a Benadryl just in case and keep watching.


I wondered that, too. Moments before the head shaking started, we passed through a brief but very lush stretch of trail where I got a few bites myself.

There are just so many possibilities.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Minie said:


> It's not an ideal situation. However avoiding unnecessary stress is absolutely a priority. Yesterday Matteo chased a lab into the brush. The lab came out clean and Matteo with at least two hundred burrs on each leg, the same on his belly and ears were beyond counting. Two hours later after meticulous brushing, I thought I had got it all out. In the evening he kept giving my husband his paws, and what do you know - more burrs between his toes. I can't believe how patient and clever poodles are.
> Peggy just knows here the honey help comes from.


Aren’t they amazing?? My last girl was very clever, but she seemed to think we were the source of any pain she experienced.

So glad Matteo’s all cleaned up now.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

fjm said:


> Oooff - that's a relief! I absolutely understand avoiding a just-in-case visit in those circumstances. To those in areas without actual foxtail seeds it is still important to be careful - many other grass species have long, sharp seeds with hooks and burs that can work themselves under the skin or into ears etc.


It’s still so nerve-racking, wondering if we’ve made the right decision. What I don’t want is for a minor issue to turn into a major one.

It’s amazing how much the veterinary landscape has changed in such a short time. I remember taking Gracie to an emergency clinic with her dislocated hip. We were the only ones there! Now you have to plan to spend the night and there are still no guarantees you’ll be seen.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Glad to hear that Peggy is doing better.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Oh I’m so glad our friend Peggy is doing better! I checked my phone first thing this morning for updates 😉 I do all of the same debates for emergency care for human kids too. It rarely feels like easy decision making.


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## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

Good to hear this is resolving it self, but it's always a little unnerving when you never learn the cause. I'm beginning to lean towards insect bite/sting.


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## Miki (Dec 25, 2021)

I'm sure I'm not the only PFer who kept checking in on Peggy's ear adventure. So very glad to learn it's calmed down, but still a bit concerned about her. She's blessed to be so well loved by you and your hubby.

And by her giant PF Fan Club. ❤🐩❤


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## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

Miki said:


> And by her giant PF Fan Club. ❤🐩❤


Yep, I'm one of the members of the club!

Hope Peggy is continuing to improve.


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## SteveS55 (7 mo ago)

Wishing Peggy and you guys the very best!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Peggy says thank you.  Just relaxing after a good walk.










She still does an occasional head shake. But nothing like yesterday, and no pawing or rubbing or sad “save me” eyes. More like something is tickling her.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

OMG🤣! At first glance, Peggy looks like she has some *Man*ly parts with her right rear foot where it is🤣😂! 

ps: sorry (snicker)


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Have you thought about putting ear cleaner in her ear ? If there is a mini piece of something stuck in there, it might fly out when she shakes it off, if you put a good amount.


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## EJStevenP (Oct 27, 2021)

I just saw this and read through the posts wanting to see how Peggy was. Poor Peggy! And poor you for listening to the head shakes. Ethel went through a shake shake shake shake shake issue a few weeks ago. The vet called in Zymox for seven days and when that didn't do it I took her in. The vet found a big wad of wax tangled in her ear hair and stuck far down in the canal. She fished it out and Ethel was fine afterwards. There's no way I could see it on my own so that might be something. At the worst of the shakes I gave her Benadryl because she was a mess and I wasn't able to sleep. 

I hope she keeps healing!!!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Not a single head shake so far today or overnight. I think we’re all good at this point. Fingers crossed!

We’ve been sniffing her ears, too, and nothing but yummy Peggy smell.  She thinks we’re super weird.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Hi Peggy - 
My Human does things like that too - looking at my teeth and sniffing my ears and tickling my toes and pretending it is all a lovely game. Perhaps all Humans are weird...

(Glad the tickle has gone. Tickles can be horrid.)

Freddy xxx


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## Kukla the Tpoo (11 mo ago)

I'm late seeing your post, but I just wanted to say that I'm very relieved to read that Peggy is better. I really fear foxtails. Fortunately, I've never had a bad experience, but years ago I met someone whose dog died because of a foxtail. I really like living in the West, but would like it even more if there were no foxtails here!


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## Maggied (Sep 6, 2018)

94Magna_Tom said:


> No advice but I wish you luck! Praying for Peggy 🙏!


There is a site called Just Answer. They connect you with the appropriate expert. You used to pay 29 dollars but they didn't push. I have found helpful people almost always, including a vet in the middle of the night.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Still quite under the weather, but wanted to pop in to say this mystery was unexpectedly *SOLVED* tonight. Wow!

By the 11th, Peggy was no longer shaking her head any more than normal, but I did sense she was holding her ears out very slightly from her head. She does this when she’s being sweet and deferential, so I couldn’t say for sure it was connected to the head-shaking episode. And she wasn’t flinching or showing any other signs of discomfort. But....

I still suspected the quick little groom I did with my husband’s clippers may have left some uncomfortably bristly hairs behind, so I continued to regularly inspect in front of and under her ears during everyday petting and handling, making sure the hair was growing out okay.

Turns out it _was_ a bristle!! But not a bristly hair.

She leaned against my leg tonight, as my husband was preparing to take her out, and I absently fondled her right ear. My fingers immediately felt something prickly and reflexively held on. It easily lifted up and out from under her ear, and I turned on the light to inspect it: *A sharp, black bristle, about 3/4 of an inch long. *

Immediately I knew.

“Do you clean your clippers with a little brush?” I asked my husband.

“Yes......”

I grabbed it to compare and sure enough! The object I was holding was one of the brush bristles.

I’m guessing it was stuck to the clippers when I trimmed in front of her ears, and then migrated into her dense poodley hair and was held tight. Since it was black, no amount of visual exploration was ever going to find it.

Poor Peggy.  No words for how grateful I am it didn’t do serious damage. The hair her groomer leaves inside her ears really did its job and protected the canal.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Good to get the mystery solved, and not something anyone would have thought of.


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## Happy'sDad (Jul 4, 2020)

Great new!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

That's great news. Peggy must be so happy you found it! Glad it wasn't a foxtail.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Fantastic! Ear hair for the win! (Our vet recommended simply trimming Bennie’s but otherwise no pulling or tweezing it. Glad to hear that her hairy ears can be beneficial!)


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## Christine.G (Nov 19, 2020)

Hairy ears for the win!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Wow what a surprise. Peggy must be feeling so much better now that you found it.


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## Kukla the Tpoo (11 mo ago)

Sorry you are still ill with Covid. How are your husband and Peggy doing? Do you still think she might have caught Covid?

Thanks so much for your update. Wow, that's really fortunate you felt the bristle and were able to get hold of it and remove it from Peggy's ear. I'm sure Peggy is grateful to finally be rid of the offending object!


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

What good news. Peggy is no doubt happier. I hope you are feeling better


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Oh my word. What are the odds.

Glad it's found and removed, and gladder yet to hear from you. I've been worrying. Please get better quickly 🏵🌺🌼.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Such a small thing but a big weight lifted! So glad you kept checking!

Now, time for the rest of you to heal .


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## judyvargas (Dec 29, 2014)

Thank God Peggy is ok! Poor baby. Maxie and I are so happy for her!


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