With spring comes blooming trees, longer walks… and one of the season’s most overlooked dangers: grass seeds, also known as foxtails.
These seeds, shaped like tiny harpoons, are produced by common grasses in our area. Their sharp tips allow them to attach to your pet’s fur and penetrate the skin easily, where they can migrate internally and cause serious health issues. Worse still, they can also enter through natural openings such as ears, eyes, nose, or mouth.
How to Know If Your Pet Has a Grass Seed Embedded
Here are the most frequent signs that your dog or cat may be suffering from a spike:
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Head shaking or scratching the ears
Grass seeds can lodge deep into the ear canal, especially in long-haired breeds like Cocker Spaniels. This causes sudden discomfort, pain, and often leads to ear infections if not removed promptly. -
Excessive sneezing
Seeds can enter through the nose while sniffing during a walk, causing sudden sneezing fits and irritation. Your pet may rub its nose frequently with its paws or against surfaces. -
Persistent coughing
Occasionally, a seed may be inhaled or enter through the mouth, reaching the lungs and causing an unrelenting cough that won’t improve with antibiotics. -
Eye irritation or swelling
A seed can become trapped between the cornea and the third eyelid, causing severe pain, squinting, blinking, or even a corneal ulcer if left untreated. -
Constant licking of the paws
Seeds can embed themselves between the toes or paw pads, creating small red lumps or abscesses. These are painful and cause obsessive licking. If not treated, the seed may migrate deeper into the leg tissue. -
Swelling of the neck or mouth
Occasionally, seeds get stuck between the teeth or are swallowed. They can cause swelling, abscesses in the throat or neck, and may require surgical removal.
Why is it important to check our pet after the walk and remove the spikes?
Taking a few minutes to examine your pet—especially the ears, nose, eyes, paws, and mouth—can prevent serious complications. Grass seeds are not just a surface issue: in some cases, they can migrate internally, causing infections such as:
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Pyothorax (infection in the chest cavity)
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Peritonitis (abdominal infection)
These conditions are life-threatening and require urgent veterinary care.
Trust Animalia to Keep Your Pet Safe This Spring
If you notice any of the signs mentioned, don’t wait. At Animalia, we have the tools and experience to locate and remove grass seeds safely and effectively.
📞 Call 972 239 003 or book online for a consultation.