Alfie’s Painful Swelling Reveals an Unexpected Cause

Alfie, a sweet and spirited Yorkshire Terrier, came into the Katikati clinic in mid-December with a painful swelling just beneath his ear. At first, it didn’t seem too serious, and the initial course of antibiotics helped reduce the inflammation. But the improvement was only temporary. A few weeks later, the area flared up again, this time badly infected, with a weepy discharge and strong odour.

Vet Dr. Nina Bos examined Alfie again and decided the best course of action was to sedate him and further examine the site. With a local anaesthetic to keep him comfortable, Nina carefully investigated the swollen area. To everyone’s surprise, she uncovered the cause: a grass seed buried deep within necrotic tissue.

Once the seed was removed, the wound was flushed clean and sutured closed. Alfie was sent home with instructions for care and returned ten days later for his post-op check. The healing had gone beautifully, the infection had cleared, and Alfie was his usual happy self again.