Grass Awns And Dogs

Once these issues become serious it takes little time for them to become serious if not life threatening.

Grass awns and dogs.

Grass seeds and awns are plant fibers that can penetrate your dog s skin and migrate into the tissues. Grass awns are grass seeds which are sharp sometimes barbed and have the capability to burrow into the skin of our dogs. The height of many dogs lines up well with the location of the seed pods on the grasses and contact with the grass allows the sharp lightweight grass awns to stick to the dog. It is when they are not quickly removed by the owner or expelled by the animal that they become problematic.

Learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of grass seeds and awns. Should you spot the grass awn make sure to remove it as quickly as you can. Grass awns can be inhaled swallowed and even penetrate the dog s skin. Grass with sharp hygroscopic seeds are common in sa with many grasses producing these so called awns during summer and early winter.

Pretty much any contact a dog has with grass awns is potentially hazardous. Dogs are especially at risk if they have longer coats with a thick undercoat although any animal can be at risk. If grass awns are not removed in a timely fashion they will lead to the formation of painful abscesses which need regular drainage of fluids. Also known as grass awns these backward pointing barbs typically fall off long wild grass barley and rye and embed themselves in a dog s paws ears armpits tail or skin sometimes causing painful wounds and infections.

Worst case scenarios with grass awns. Like many other issues the real danger to dogs suffering from grass awns is a lack of action on the part of the owner. Grass awns can penetrate the skin says dr. Grass awns from weeds like cheatgrass and foxtail first become attached to a dog s coat while running or walking through these tall grasses.

Grass awns can be inhaled become lodged in the ears swallowed or even just imbedded in the coat or skin.