Dogs can suffer quite a bit at this time of year: grass arbors. In the months of July and August, the roadsides and lawns are full of them. You can even find them on the sidewalk. The spines can get caught in the fur or skin of the animal and with a bit of bad luck even in the nose or throat. That is painful and dangerous. Veterinary assistants Lisa Brandes and Chelsee Vlassak know how to recognize that your dog has caught a grass ear and what to do about it.
Grass spikes are created when wild grass blossoms. They are the seeds of the grass. They are often green at first, but as they dry out they turn yellow and disintegrate into loose seeds. What makes the stems so treacherous is that they have barbs. These are those long spines sticking out of the ear. The barbs make them easy to hang in the fur.
“They are vicious and can really end up anywhere,” explains Chelsee. So there are not certain places where they occur more often in the animal. From head to toe and even in the eyes or nose. Prevention is difficult because the spikes grow in many places.
Symptoms
Since prevention is difficult and ‘all dogs are affected equally’, it is very important to pay attention to the symptoms, according to the vet assistants:
- Your animal may shake a lot, flap its ears or scratch.
- Acute lameness. Because the grass quickly burrows into the skin, your animal can suddenly limp or have pain in its leg.
- A red skin with ‘liquid’ coming out. A small entrance can be seen at the place where the grass bores itself in.
- Retching, chewing a lot or sneezing can happen when your animal has got a grass in the mouth or nose.
Check after walking
Acting quickly can save a lot of suffering, Lisa Brandes of the Dierenziekenhuis in Breda also emphasizes. “The later you are there, the worse it is. Annoying because they dig deeper and deeper into the skin.” So checking your animal after a walk can make a lot of difference.
Grass spikes that you see yourself can be removed with tweezers. “When in doubt, it is best to consult with the vet,” emphasizes Chelsee.
If it turns out that the grass is too deep, there is a chance that it will have to be removed with surgery. “That is sometimes a small operation, but it can also take a long time if we have to look for the ear. This is done by cutting open different places and sewing them closed again,” says Chelsee. According to Lisa, the most annoying thing is when the grass falls apart. “We then have to find all the pieces and pick them out.”
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