Grass Awn Dog Treatment

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.

Grass awn dog treatment.

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. The signs associated with grass seeds and awns depend upon the location of the grass seed. Grass awns are deadly dangerous for your dog. Johnson ms martin mws.

However grass awns can also cause much more serious health problems when they enter through the mouth or nose of a dog and migrate through the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract. Successful medical treatment of 15 dogs with pyothorax. Pieces of plant material typically the awn seed penetrate the skin or are inhaled or ingested as the dog runs through cover the awns of the most problematic grasses are barbed which allows the awn to ratchet itself along through the tissue. If the seeds are just tangled in the fur only matting of the hair coat may be seen.

The problem with grass awns is that they are difficult to be located. The awn may carry bacteria as it enters the dog s body and or it may carry bacteria that are normal inhabitants of one part of the body. Grass awns can be inhaled swallowed and even penetrate the dog s skin. The three most common hazards of foxtails to dogs are these.

J small anim pract 2007 48 12 16. These dangers are usually called awn timothy foxtails cheat grass june grass downy brome or any other colloquial names but for your dog it is all trouble. Further motion enables the grass awn to migrate. Fatalities and grass awns.

If a grass awn becomes embedded in your dog and an infection and abscesses develop your dog is at risk for dying if he receives no treatment. These seeds or grass awns can become lodged in pet ears between toes and under the skin. Once inside they start a relentless crawl forward traveling deeper into a dog. An awn is a hairy like bristle or appendage from the ear or flower of barley rye or many other types of growing grass.

They get sniffed into dog noses work their way into dog ears and lodge between dog toes. The most common presentation is a draining tract between the toes. The seeds of the nasty foxtail grass seem to have a special affinity for invading dogs bodies. But if the seeds have penetrated the skin or have been inhaled or ingested usually pain inflammation and swelling will result.

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. Movement from the dog allows the grass awn to pierce the dog s skin becoming embedded due to the barbs. Vet radiol ultrasound 2004 45 136 138. Each of these sites is a mere port of entry for these sturdy seeds.

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.