Dust mites usually affect hunting dogs outside urban environments, but now the dog Sixten in Malmö has been affected twice. Sixten’s mother Katarina Lyckman believes that the city’s investment in creating meadows may be the reason.
– Now you are a little worried after every walk, she says.
A small blade of grass can cause great harm to dogs. Katarina Lyckman and her dog Sixten in Malmö have experienced this. Twice this summer, Sixten has been operated on for the phenomenon known as hoarder’s disease.
– He shook his head a lot and was not himself, says Katarina Lyckman about the occasion when he first fell ill.
– He just lay there and looked very sad. So we had to take him in and put him to sleep, and then there was a blade of grass deep in his ear. A small blade of grass, says Katarina Lyckman.
Can be fatal
In the worst case, the disease can be fatal. Dust mites can affect dogs that have inhaled grass clippings that travel in the respiratory tract and can create abscesses and infections in the body. It usually affects hunting dogs, or dogs that move a lot in nature outside of urban environments.
In a short time, the vet found two ears of corn that had traveled up Sixten’s cheek, where they caused infections. More surgeries await the dog.
– It’s actually very scary. Now you are a little worried after every walk. That there must have been some new grain, says Katarina.
The vet: Seek help early
Protecting dogs that are out in nature is difficult, says veterinarian Michael Brückner. But there are some warning signs dog owners can be aware of.
– The clearest thing is that if they have gotten it into their lungs and suddenly start coughing, after perhaps having been out in the fields. Then I would think that something might have happened and seek help early, says Michael Brückner.
Katarina Lyckman herself believes that Sixten may have come into contact with the ax when they walked in an area where the city of Malmö has allowed the grass to grow tall to benefit biodiversity.
– I think it’s a fantastic idea. But it has its price, she says.