Just back from the vets...

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poiuytrewq

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My lovely old girl has badly damaged her ear. She’s only ever with me, in the house in the garden or out on the yard. I did once last week leave her alone in the garden while I popped out as it was sunny and she didn’t want to go back inside. It’s easily accessible but quite isolated garden. Gates closed but not locked.
She has basically almost removed her ear, it’s only the skin on the outside really holding it all together.
There has been no blood to speak of, a tiny splatter on the floor and then only really visible while I was hoovering, I’d not have noticed it just walking past not specifically looking at the floor. I checked all paws found no damage and shrugged it off.
The vet thinks she did it about 2/3 days ago. It’s already infected.
He said there’s no way she did this on wire fencing/ a stray nail or bit of sharp metal. It’s not self inflicted. He said the ear has been held taut and clean cut with a blade.
I just don’t get it. How, why when where?
So weird and upsetting to think she’s probably been in agony for days. She never shows pain. She’s had it all cleaned tonight without any sedation. The vet said she’s very stoic or the ear tissue is already dying off and she can’t feel it.
I know there are fenn traps on the farm which I’ve had to google as I don’t actually know what they are. Could one have caused this?
My poor old lady :(
 
How absolutely dreadful. I can't see that a fenn trap could cause it, they could find it hard to get their ear in one and they grip more than cut.
Does the vet think she will be OK? Is it your rescue collie girl?
Thinking of her.
 
Yes it is.
The game keeper has sworn blind that his traps wouldn’t have got her and to be fair they are well protected to keep dogs away but she will do anything for food.
That idea was also hugely preferable to someone having purposely hurt her.
Yes, she will be ok. She may loose a fair bit of ear yet but we need to wait and see what happens healing wise.
 
They probably are not baited with food? We don'rt bait ours, and they have to be in tunnels, or covered.
Surely no one would have come to hurt her and she has caught it on some totally random thing that you cannot picture. I hope so.
 
No I don’t think these are baited but she’s a great lover of dead animals 🤢 Ah but then it would have already been sprung so that’s that theory gone.
He said it’s just to clean, straight and deep to be caught on something. It’s gone through all the layers. I really hope so but can not fathom what?
 
I did similar to my ear when I was a teenager. I slipped and fell in a classroom and nearly took my ear off on the side of the desk. It looked like someone had pulled my ear taught and sliced through it from the back with a big knife. It was straight, clean and very deep. I still have a big scar but you cant really see it as its right in the back where my ear joins my head. Honestly if I hadnt done it to myself in front of a room full of people I'd have had some explaining to do about how it happened!
 
No the more I think about it the more I just can’t imagine when. The farm has cctv and the time I went out and left her outside no one came into the yard and that’s the only way in.
I guess I’ll never know.
 
Leo Walker said:
I did similar to my ear when I was a teenager. I slipped and fell in a classroom and nearly took my ear off on the side of the desk. It looked like someone had pulled my ear taught and sliced through it from the back with a big knife. It was straight, clean and very deep. I still have a big scar but you cant really see it as its right in the back where my ear joins my head. Honestly if I hadnt done it to myself in front of a room full of people I'd have had some explaining to do about how it happened!
Click to expand...

Good grief LW!! Your poor teacher! I bet they looked traumatized for weeks.

So sorry about your dog OP, I hope for your peace of mind that you do one day manage to work out what might have happened. But I suppose LW's story just goes to show what horrible injuries we can inflict on ourselves in an apparently safe environment.
 
If she’s rarely away from you, I reckon she’s caught it on something. The vet may not be correct, sounds like a theory to me. Big dog’s had loads of odd injuries, some very clean, but all from running through the woods.
 
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