WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A frequent warning from veterinarians this time of year includes an urgent reminder to keep a close eye on your dogs. Wichita area clinics say small, sharp seeds called grass awns, “foxtails” are prolific this year. They can cause discomfort and severe pain in dogs
The grass awns can enter a dog’s paws, mouth, eyes, or ears. Dogs can even breathe them in after spending some time outside to play.
At Solomon Veterinary Clinic in Wichita, Drew Cooley, a registered veterinary tech, said just about daily, the clinic treats a four-legged patient inflicted with grass awns, mainly embedded in dogs’ toe pads and under their skin. The problem could come to pet owners’ attention when they see their dogs limping. The grass awns can cause infections or sores.
Cooley advises pet owners to take dogs to the vet as soon as possible if they notice sores or signs of infection and to check their dogs after spending time outdoors, especially their foot pads between their toes and nails.
“Sometimes we have to do some sedation for the dogs to make sure we’re not causing them any pain to remove them. We usually have to make a slit over that area and then dig around to try to find the grass awn that’s hidden in between. These barbs really like to do dig and I’ve seen them go as far as the top of the foot before,” Cooley said.
Cooley said every night, she checks her dog for grass awns.
“Any time he comes from outside, cause he loves having the zoomies outside, and I usually pick out about three a night, just where it’s barely in his fur and it’s just going to prevent it from going any further,” she said.
Keeping a dog’s coat and its fur trimmed around their paws can also help.
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