The problem with grass awns is that they are difficult to be located.
Grass awn dog ear.
If the seeds are just tangled in the fur only matting of the hair coat may be seen.
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.
But if the seeds have penetrated the skin or have been inhaled or ingested usually pain inflammation and swelling will result.
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.
The signs associated with grass seeds and awns depend upon the location of the grass seed.
The most common presentation is a draining tract between the toes.
Grass awns are deadly dangerous for your dog.
Grass awns can be inhaled swallowed and even penetrate the dog s skin.
They may also become embedded in the body.
The barbed seed heads of the foxtail plant can work their way into any part of your dog or cat from the nose to between the toes and inside the ears eyes and mouth they can even simply dig themselves directly into a patch of skin.
These seeds or grass awns can become lodged in pet ears between toes and under the skin.
Further motion enables the grass awn to migrate.
Grass awns may get caught in a dog s paws nostrils face and ears.
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.
Foxtail seeds can also separate from the pod and become embedded.
Foxtail plants can be risky for your dog.