Grass Awn In Dogs Foot

Grass awns can be inhaled swallowed and even penetrate the dog s skin.

Grass awn in dogs foot.

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. 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. 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. These seeds or grass awns can become lodged in pet ears between toes and under the skin.

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. Movement from the dog allows the grass awn to pierce the dog s skin becoming embedded due to the barbs. Foxtail plants can be risky for your dog. 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.

Grass awns are just one of the many danger your dog is exposed to when he or she is outdoors. If the seeds are just tangled in the fur only matting of the hair coat may be seen. The signs associated with grass seeds and awns depend upon the location of the grass seed. But if the seeds have penetrated the skin or have been inhaled or ingested usually pain inflammation and swelling will result.

The foxtail plant is a grass like weed.