The consumption of grass can be a sign that your dog is attempting to relieve an upset stomach and some pups do vomit soon after eating it. Scotts EZ Seed Dog Spot Repair Sun and Shade - 2 Lb., Mulch, Seed and Soil Amendment with Protectant and Tackifier, Repairs Pet Spots . While you might be on the lookout for cars, squirrels, skunks, and porcupines, one hazard you might not be aware of is the lowly grass awn. 97. Keep your dog on a leash when going for walks, so it cannot run into burr or weed patches. TREATMENT: The dog must be sedated, and a topical anesthetic may be needed to numb the inside of the dog’s nose. You can identify a foxtail by its characteristic spiny shape. So you want to make sure he only eats grass that’s free of chemicals. The accidental ingestion of fertilizer by your dog means that he has eaten a product that can possibly contain harmful substances (herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides) in addition to the compounds (phosphorous, iron, nitrogen) which are toxic … If a seed goes up your dog’s nose — a common occurrence when sniffing — it can eventually travel to his brain and kill him. My dog is about 8-9 lbs and she has been vomiting a few times, but has stopped. Dogs eat grass for a variety of reasons. How Do Grass Awns Injure Dogs? Get to a vet as soon as possible. Eating Grass Is Natural For Your Dog. This grass is well-known for its hardiness and durability. Keep the dogs off of it for a solid month to let the roots get established, then follow our best practices plan for dogs and lawns below. Depending on where the grass seed penetrates or enters the body, a variety of different symptoms would make it apparent that your dog or cat may have a grass seed invasion. The awn’s spikes and sharp edges serve a purpose—to stick and hold fast to surfaces so that they can spread their seeds to surrounding areas. He also says to be on the lookout for draining tracts (an opening through the skin surface from which the discharge drains), licking, scratching, chewing, or pawing at the site, lethargy, depression, and a decreased appetite. They might be picked up on food they eat off the ground, when they lick their coats or whilst walking or running through long grass. It is when they are not quickly removed by the owner, or expelled by the animal, that they become problematic. They commonly lodge themselves intodogs' paws, ears and eyes. Tannins are found throughout the plant world and stored in the leaf, seed, root, bud, and stem. Marie is a member of the Dogs Naturally team. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. As a result, the plant awn stays imbedded in tissue and attempts to remove the awn can lead to breakage at some point along the length of the awn and retention of the awn in the dog’s nose.”, Further explaining the danger of incomplete removal, Dr. Mahaney added that “the imbedded awn not only causes inflammation and infection at the site, but the awn generally continues to move in a forward direction and can travel great distances through body cavities from the site of imbedding.”, Shown: Brittle grass awn breaking into smaller pieces / Image credit: FloridaGrasses.org, “Once a grass awn has penetrated through the surface layers of tissue, problems can go from bad to worse rather quickly,” says Dr. Coates. “Eventually, a board-certified veterinary surgeon was able to locate the grass awn and remove it, and a lot of infected and damaged muscle. In the column Since You Asked in every issue of BirdWatching, Contributing Editor Julie Craves answers readers’ questions about birds and bird behavior. Favorite Answer. Sometimes your canine companion and your grass just don't mix well. We can also reveal that the most common places for grass seeds to embed was in the dogs’ paws and ears. *If your dog swallowed something that might be poisonous, call the ASPCA poison control at 888-426-4435 for guidance. Scotts® EZ Seed® Dog Spot Repair is a good solution for repairing bare spots. Unfortunately, owners can do only so much to protect their pets from the effects of grass awns. So as long as your dog always has a fresh source of real green veggies in his diet … you’ll meet his chlorophyll needs. My dogs ate a bag of grass seed treated with mefenoxam and with 10% silver dollar perennial (poisonous grass seed). 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