Grass Awn Dog Treatment

The three most common hazards of foxtails to dogs are these.

Grass awn dog treatment.

In some cases the abscess can be opened and the foreign body removed. How to protect your dog from grass awn injury. How to protect your dog from grass awn injury. The grass awn project started when i had a field bred english springer spaniel that suffered recurring bouts of unexplained illness approximately every three months for almost a year.

For working dogs or for dogs that spend a lot of their time recreating outdoors in tall grass there are commercially available vests that cover the chest and abdomen as well as full head coverings. Grass awns can be inhaled swallowed and even penetrate the dog s skin. Your dog may need to be sedated if the grass awn is in an area like the mouth or nose or if the affected area is very painful. The ultimate goal is successful removal of the foreign body debridement and drainage of infected tissue and long term antibiotic therapy to resolve infection.

The problem with grass awns is that they are difficult to be located. 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. Tai s illness finally culminated in a pyothorax that required chest drains at the university of wisconsin madison veterinary hospital. Once inside they start a relentless crawl forward traveling deeper into a dog.

They get sniffed into dog noses work their way into dog ears and lodge between dog toes. The seeds of the nasty foxtail grass seem to have a special affinity for invading dogs bodies. Moderate cases may cost 200 to 500 to sedate a pet find and remove the awn and treat any infection or abscess. Simple awn or seed removal can be as little as 50.

Your vet may attempt to remove the grass awn if possible while your dog is still under sedation. Unfortunately owners can do only so much to protect their pets from the effects of grass awns. Should you spot the grass awn make sure to remove it as quickly as you can. Stopping medication too early can allow the signs of discospondylitis to recur even in a dog that was showing dramatic signs of improvement.

In cases where the grass awn is suspected to have migrated through a body cavity imaging such as x rays or ultrasound may be required to located the foreign material. Each of these sites is a mere port of entry for these sturdy seeds.