There is nothing more beautiful than going for a walk in an English meadow in the height of summer, yet it may contain hidden dangers for your dog.
Flowering grass seeds can get into your dog’s eyes, ears, paws and under their skin. This can cause pain and injury to your dog.
These grass seed heads are very common in the countryside and woodlands, as well as in city parks and commons too. They are plentiful during this time of the year and are easily brushed off the grass stems as the dogs knocks against it.
The seed heads act like tiny arrows easily attaching to your dog’s fur and piercing their skin. On rare occasions, the seed head has been known to travel through other parts of the animal’s body, including the chest area.
Mostly the seed heads end up in your pet’s eyes, ears and paws.
Commonly affected
The most common part of dogs to be affected is the foot. A seed can become caught in the feathery fur around the paw and easily find its way into the dog’s sensitive pad. A dog who starts to limp suddenly or licks their paw constantly, may have a grass seed lodged in between their toes. This can be very painful for your pet and can lead to infection.
Ears are the second most commonly affected part of the dog. The shape of the ear enables the grass seed to work its way from the fur on the dog’s ear, down the ear canal to the sensitive ear drum. If your dog suddenly paws repeatedly at their ear or shakes their head vigorously after a walk, do check them over for seed heads.
And if your dog suddenly starts to sneeze violently they may have a seed head in their nose.
Breeds of dog which are more at risk from this common summer hazard, are those with hairy ears and feathery feet. Or dogs who just love romping through long grass.
Top tips to avoid this
Keep hair clipped around the dog’s ears, eyes and paws to minimize the chance of seeds piercing the skin and make seeds easier to spot and remove.
Check your pet after walking the countryside and remove any grass seeds you see on the surface of your dog’s fur,
However, if you see any seeds which have begun burrowing into your pet’s skin, then contact your vet. Contact your vet too if you suspect your pet has a seed lodged in their eye or ear.
The vet can remove the seeds with special tweezers although this may need your pet to be sedated.
And since the seeds don’t show up on X-Rays, once they have entered your pet’s body, they can be very difficult to locate. Prevention is the much better option.
First Aid for Pets provides this information for guidance and it is not in any way a substitute for veterinary advice. The author does not accept any liability or responsibility for any inaccuracies or for any mistreatment or misdiagnosis of any person or animal, however caused. It is strongly advised that you attend a practical First Aid for Pets course to understand what to do in a medical emergency.
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