GRASS SEEDS

The grass may seem fairly harmless, but it can sometimes be dangerous for your dog, especially during the late spring and summer months. If you plan to walk your dog where there is a lot of tall grass, make sure you keep an eye out for grass seeds and observe your dog’s behaviour while on a walk.  Grass seeds may be small, but they can cause huge problems such as inflammation, infection, and abscess formation. Therefore, they need to be located and removed quickly.

HOW TO PREVENT GRASS SEED INJURY

• Do not walk your dog in areas with tall, flowering grasses during the late spring and summer months.

• Grass seeds will find it easier to get into your dog’s coat if it's thick and especially if it's matted. Regular brushing is important.

• Certain breeds can be more affected due to their long coats. You can help by clipping their coats as short as possible, including hair between toes, around ears, and armpits.

• After your walk, check your dog’s body thoroughly, especially between toes, ears, and armpits, also around eyes and their nose.

SIGNS THAT YOUR DOG MAY HAVE PICKED UP A GRASS SEED

EARS

• Frequent and violent head shakes.

• Ear scratching

  If a grass seed goes down a dog’s ear during a walk, you will probably not be able to see anything. Take your dog to the vet as soon as you can. Your dog may need sedation or anaesthetic to get the grass seed out.

EYES

• Sore or red and often runny closed eye

• Constant eye pawing

  Take your dog to the vet as they will need to examine the eye and remove the grass seed. Sometimes this can be done consciously by using local anaesthetic drops in the eye.

PAWS

• Foot chewing

• Small oozy, red, and infected looking wound

  If you can see the end of the grass awn, and it hasn’t penetrated right in, then you may be able to pull it out with tweezers. If you cannot see the seed, but there is an obvious wound, the sooner quicker you get to the vet, the easier it will be to get it out.