If you have ever tried to maintain a lawn with a dog around, then you know that this can be quite tricky.While your dog may love the grass, they can also end up destroying it fairly easily. Once the sharp, barbed seeds of the foxtail stick become imbedded in your pet, they can cause abscesses and infection. Skin: The dog may try to remove the grass seed by licking and chewing a specific area. The bark, leaves, and seeds of the locust are all toxic to your dog. The two most common presentations of a dog with a grass seed we’ll examine here are the foot and the ear, although other places on your dog’s body can be at risk too. They can attach to your dog’s coat and burrow into your dog’s ears, nose, and paw pads. Your dog will often show marked head shaking, pawing at the ear and their face, creating hotspots which are areas of sore skin on the side of their face and potentially going off food, feeling lethargic and holding their head to one side. They can cause vomiting, bloody diarrhea and difficulty breathing which can lead to death. A grooming brush can remove some awns from their coat. Now, the good news for you is that you don’t actually have to compromise on your lawn if you have a pup.. Rather, it is about finding the best grass for your lawn. What problems can grass seeds cause dogs? Repairing the spots with seed can be difficult unless you can keep your dogs off that area for the entire season. The best thing an owner can do is when they suspect that their dog has been exposed to awns, they should check them. Over time these types of grasses can still be damaged by dog urine, but the damage will take longer to show up, and the grass will be better able to recover from scorching. Keep your dog safe by checking your dog and make sure they are clean after every walk. Potential Complications: Grass seeds lodged in the ear canal can cause ear infection, rupture of the ear drum, loss of hearing or balance and even death if infection reaches the brain. - Answered by a verified Dog Veterinarian. A grass seed in the ear might make your dog shake their head, cry out in pain, hold their head to one side or scratch at their ear. Last spring we cut out a huge area of our backyard and placed sod we pulled from our front yard when creating a garden space. My dog ate fertilizer and grass seed mix. If a seed goes up your dog’s nose — a common occurrence when sniffing — it can eventually travel to his brain and kill him. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. 29. I’ve tried reseeding for 3 springs and it never held up. The seeds can get into your dog’s ear canals and cause extreme irritation. From here the seed can move into the abdomen or chest, in which case surgery … What to do: Eating azalea leaves can kill your dog, so contact poison control or your vet to find out the steps you need to take if your pooch gets into this plant. 7. Marijuana Foxtail plants are a weed-type grass that can cause serious problems for dogs. Firstly, in between the toes of any foot, referred to as the interdigital (literally between the toes) space (pictured). Flourishing in the summer months, these annoying weeds are designed to burrow, which can lead to pain, infection, and sometimes more serious issues. Is it harmful to him? We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. If you cannot see the bothersome awn, you should have the dog seen by a veterinarian. If you plan to re-seed your lawn, you can always use a hardier grass, such as fescues or perennial rye grasses. The awn might visibly protrude from the skin, which could appear swollen and red with pus or blood. 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