How to Treat Grass Seed in Dogs

Grass seed is, perhaps surprisingly, a fairly big cause of emergency admissions to veterinary hospitals and clinics in the spring and summer. The seeds typically fall off long grass and embed themselves in a dog’s paws, ears, armpits, tail, or skin, sometimes causing painful wounds and infections. In rare cases, grass seeds have also been known to burrow under the skin and travel to other parts of the body.

All dogs can be affected but the most susceptible are those with feathery toes who enjoy skipping through long grass, such as spaniels.

Grass seeds in dog’s ears

• Head shaking
• Redness and painful to touch
• Holding the head to one side
• Loss of balance

Grass seeds in dog’s eye

•  Swollen, red eye
• Excessive tear production
• Rubbing the eye

Grass seeds in dog’s paw

• Licking at the toes
• Red, swollen area on the foot and between toes
• Limping or holding the leg up

Grass seeds in dog’s nose

• Repeated sneezing
• Bloody discharge from nostril
• Rubbing face on the ground
• Difficulty breathing

Grass seeds in dog’s skin

• Swollen, red lump, with blood or pus
• Dog licking continually at site
• Grass seed sticking out from the skin

Grass seeds in dog’s genitals

• Licking at the site
• Difficulty peeing
• Blood in urine
• Redness and swelling

It’s important to remove grass seeds as early as possible. If ignored they can cause a lot of pain and irritation. This is particularly the case if they’ve managed to migrate through the body or lodge themselves in your dog’s lungs. Both scenarios can cause serious infections and may be life-threatening. Seek advice from your vet about safe removal.

The signs depend on what part of the body is affected. But look out for hair matting, irritation and swelling. Other typical signs include excessive or unusual scratching and rubbing, head shaking, limping or discharge from the eyes or nose. If the seed is lodged in your dog’s mouth, which sometimes happens when they chew an area of skin where seeds have become attached, they may lick excessively or show discomfort.

The best way to prevent injury from grass seed in dogs is to find and remove them as swiftly as possible. For example, a grass seed in the eye can cause serious damage to the cornea if left untreated. Unfortunately, however, removal is not always straightforward.

It’s likely your vet will carry out a full physical examination of your pet to confirm the diagnosis before getting to work on removing the offending seed. If it’s close to the surface of the skin and easily accessible they may use a specially-designed pair of tweezers to do this.

If your vet suspects a grass seed is lodged too deeply, is in a particularly sensitive area, or there is pus or blood oozing out of a wound, they may need to sedate your dog. If a grass seed is thought to be the source of pain or infection but cannot be found, surgery may be required.

Try to avoid long grass in the warmer months, keep your own lawn tidy and check your dog thoroughly after a walk by running your fingers through their fur and checking inside the ears, in between the toes, and in the mouth and eyes.

You should also try to ensure your dog is well groomed, especially around the ears and feet. The main threat to your dog’s health from grass seeds is when they penetrate the skin, enter the lungs, or burrow themselves into the body. Ideally, if they have long, feathery fur on their feet, this should be trimmed short.

Try to avoid long grass in the warmer months, keep your own lawn tidy and check your dog thoroughly after a walk, by running your fingers through their fur and checking inside the ears, in between the toes, and in the mouth and eyes.

You should also try to ensure your dog is well groomed, especially around the ears and feet. The main threat to your dog’s health from grass seeds is when they penetrate the skin, enter the lungs, or burrow themselves into the body. Ideally, if they have long, feathery fur on their feet, this should be trimmed short.

The G.R Team