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Sensitive Ears?


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Hadji whines and sometimes cries when the tips of his ears are stroked, even lightly. He's my fourth greyt, the others all seemed to love having their ears stroked. Is this common? Of course my wife and I avoid touching the tips, but often a stranger (neighbor, someone at the dog park) will stroke his ears, assuming he likes it, and are startled when he screams. They assume they hurt him. Could this have anything to do with the tattooing?

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Topper has really sensitive ears too. I can pet them and caress them but any squeezing, even gentle, elicits a whine or worse. His ears are very thin and delicate compared to my other grey. I though maybe that made them more sensitive.

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Guest Geostar

Well, the grey just does not want you to touch them..that's all. Our Doug is like that sometimes all over his body. The vet can't find anything wrong except that Chiropractically, he does 'get out' here and there. Also, being a holistic vet, she has given him some oral material which is supposed to help him from being such a wimp. And,therefore, who knows..perhaps, he/she needs an adjustment. You'd be surprised what is connected to where..

 

Considering the tatoos were done quite early..I'm assuming. We've had a smaller dog tatooed on her tummy..and she never was bothered by it.

 

Best wishes and good luck

-star

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Have you ever noticed how some inspectors check and re-check the ear tattoos rather roughly, just before the dogs race? Not to hurt the dogs, but just to get the job done. My ears would be sore, too, and I would probably always remember the tenderness and wince anytime someone touched them.

Cheryl - "Mom" to RUNNER (Gunnah, born 6/15/2012) and FARGO (Ridin Shotgun, born 8/21/2015). Missing my Grey-Angels HEISMAN (RX Heisman) (3/29/2005-2/1/2016) and ALEX (Bevenly) (4/15/2005-6/7/2018).

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There might be something to that theory.... Sunshine is fine with anyone messing with her ears, but she never raced. Rainy is fine with us touching her ears but screams when the vet looks in them.. LOL I had to assure this vet that her ears are not painful in any way and she enjoys her eargasms every day....

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Jessica

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Guest Eyeblaura

Enzo is the exact same way. I have a vet appt. this week and will have his ears looked at to make sure there isn't any infection or anything causing him pain. I posted about it on here and got the same response, that some hounds just don't like it. I've had to retrain myself as my other dog loved it so it was something I used to do as a sign of affection.

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Have you ever noticed how some inspectors check and re-check the ear tattoos rather roughly, just before the dogs race? Not to hurt the dogs, but just to get the job done. My ears would be sore, too, and I would probably always remember the tenderness and wince anytime someone touched them.

Pretty much what I heard why the screme sometimes

Cassie: Pikes Clara Bell Swoop: My Man Swoop

BRIDGE ANGELS Psi:WD'S Aleford 3/17/00-4/25/10 Snowman: Gable Snowman 1/9/96-2/14/08

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I don't think the ear check thing entirely explains this phenomenon.

 

Renie was just the same. I could rub her ears really quite roughly, and I could pick up the flap to check the inside of her ears and she would be absolutely fine, but sometimes I would literally just brush her ear in passing and she would let out a scream. Most puzzling!

 

There was nothing wrong with Renie's ears, and I know her trainer, and she would never, ever hurt one of her dogs. Also, I've now had four dogs who raced at the same track and she's the only one who has screamed at a slight touch. You'd think that if there was someone there who was rough in checking ears that it would be pretty common in Peterborough dogs, wouldn't you? :dunno

 

My vet wondered if there was some ligament damage to the base of the ear, but to my mind this doesn't explain it either. Surely she would have objected to having her ears examined for wax or having me show people her numbers (as I did occasionally when they asked about the tattoos, while she was working as a therapy dog)?

 

I do have one theory: Renie was a particularly thin-skinned, silky coated hound - everyone remarked on it. I just wonder if she was more susceptible to static shocks, and in lightly touching an ear, I would accidentally give her one.

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The plural of anecdote is not data

Brambleberry Greyhounds My Etsy Shop

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I don't think the ear check thing entirely explains this phenomenon.

 

Renie was just the same. I could rub her ears really quite roughly, and I could pick up the flap to check the inside of her ears and she would be absolutely fine, but sometimes I would literally just brush her ear in passing and she would let out a scream. Most puzzling!

 

There was nothing wrong with Renie's ears, and I know her trainer, and she would never, ever hurt one of her dogs. Also, I've now had four dogs who raced at the same track and she's the only one who has screamed at a slight touch. You'd think that if there was someone there who was rough in checking ears that it would be pretty common in Peterborough dogs, wouldn't you? :dunno

 

 

Clarification... No, not the trainers. Because they know the dogs, they wouldn't need to identify the dogs by their tattoos all the time. Race officials (inspectors) must check tattoos, for fairness of the race and to make sure the correct dog is running the correct race. And it is not intentional roughness. In an effort to be quick and efficient, some inspectors tend to be a little rougher than others as they check and re-check each ear of the eight dogs against their clipboards/sheets before every race.

 

Or, maybe it is like you said, it is the way each dog is built.

 

Or maybe it is something we are doing after they are retired... like slipping over-the-head style martingale collars on and off every time we go for a walk, which could "bruise" the ear. (if you think this may be the culprit, try the clip-on style to avoid hurting their ears)

 

Dunno. Maybe it is a combination of the above factors. But anecdotally, I haven't seen this ear-wncing phenomena with other breeds.

Cheryl - "Mom" to RUNNER (Gunnah, born 6/15/2012) and FARGO (Ridin Shotgun, born 8/21/2015). Missing my Grey-Angels HEISMAN (RX Heisman) (3/29/2005-2/1/2016) and ALEX (Bevenly) (4/15/2005-6/7/2018).

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Guest Greyt_dog_lover

drama queen...

 

I have one that for the first few months she was in my house would scream if you touched her ears. That no longer happens as I LOVE to pet their velvet ears. I continued to pet her ears day after day, she got over it.

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I heard once that sometimes after a race a muzzle could be taken off in a rough manner and it causes damage to the cartilege on the ears. I don't know if that is true, but it sounds reasonable.

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Guest Lovey_Hounds

Some dogs just don't like their ears touched, I work as a groomer and if you saw the amount of dogs freak out because I touched their ears :rolleyes: I have also seen dogs yelp for their ears being touched because they know they can get a reaction and possibly treats because the human feels bad.

It has nothing to do with muzzles being taken off after a race they take the muzzles off the same way we would, how do I know? I have been there and there is NO reason for anyone to be man handling any of the hounds after a race they love and care for their hounds in their kennel and would never hurt one of the hounds purposely.

 

I have one Greyhound who is perfect for nail cutting unless DH is standing there and then she screams and looks at him shaking... why? he is a sucker and she knows it. :)

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Have had only one who was sensitive about his ears. We could give him ear rubs & he loved it. But if you tried to lift his ear leather to look inside his ear he'd let out the GSOD. He is also the only Grey I've had who had a stint of recurring ear infections, nearly all before I adopted him. (He was a 10 yo bounce.) Finally, I just worked at lifting his ear leather over & over without doing an ear cleaning or careful inspection. After his multiple failed attempts at using the GSOD to shoo away his pesky person the ol' dude gave up that approach. I think my continued work resulted in enough times of nonrewarded attempts to prevent ear handling & nonpainful events that we desensitized him.

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