Oftentimes once grass seeds and awns penetrate the skin they will continue to migrate deeper into the pet s tissues.
Grass awn in dogs ear.
Dogs with grass seeds in their ears will suddenly start shaking and pawing at their heads and the affected ear often during or soon after a walk.
This can result in the formation of abscesses and even life threatening infections inside the body cavities.
What makes it so bad for dogs is that it will get caught in their hair or their nose or their ears and it has barbs on it so it will work in one direction.
The seeds of the nasty foxtail grass seem to have a special affinity for invading dogs bodies.
Grass awns are deadly dangerous for your dog.
Once inside they start a relentless crawl forward traveling deeper into a dog.
The signs associated with grass seeds and awns depend upon the location of the grass seed.
The problem with grass awns is that they are difficult to be located.
So what makes it so bad for dogs.
These seeds or grass awns can become lodged in pet ears between toes and under the skin.
It s got these little arrow shape grass awns or grass seeds that frankly get into everything.
There may be blood coming out of one nostril.
Long eared breeds like cocker and springer spaniels are most susceptible.
What are grass awns.
An awn is a hairy or bristle like appendage growing from the ear or flower of barley rye and many types of widely growing grasses.
Embedded grass awns can lead to serious infections and other complications.
The most common presentation is a draining tract between the toes.
Many dogs develop a lump where the grass awn is located.
This includes making sure you cut the grass in your own garden regularly.
Each of these sites is a mere port of entry for these sturdy seeds.
The three most common hazards of foxtails to dogs are these.
Excessive hair around the paws ears and arm pits needs to be trimmed on a regular basis as it can pick up grass seeds more easily.
When a grass awn is embedded the body responds with inflammation.
Cells begin to wall off the area to contain a potential infection forming an abscess.
Dogs often get cheat grass in their nose.
One of the most common minor emergencies we see during the summer in the mid south are grass awn foreign bodies.
Whether you call them awns mean seeds timothy foxtails cheat grass june grass downy brome or any other number of colloquial names to dogs they generally mean one thing and that s trouble.
They will come in from a romp in the field across the street with a sudden onset of sneezing and snorting.
Try to stay away from walking your dog in fields with long grass as much as possible and stick to areas where it has been cut short.
They get sniffed into dog noses work their way into dog ears and lodge between dog toes.
