05/10/2023
A recent burst of warmer weather signalled the end of what felt like a long and wet winter, and so we ready ourselves for a hot summer.
With the drier weather come grass seeds; our first grass seed case was a couple of weeks ago, and has been followed by an avalanche of similar cases.
The problem seeds measure around 1-2cm, with a sharp point at one end and a flared brush at the other, ensuring that they can burrow into the coat and skin with surprising ease and speed. We retrieve them from many places, but mainly ears and feet, with eyes, noses and other equally uncomfortable spots also presenting.
Often we need to sedate a patient to remove the offending seed, so prevention is certainly easier than cure.
Vigilance after a walk is the best bet: check your dog’s feet and ears for any grass seeds on the surface, and remove them before they dig deeper. And have any sore spots checked out promptly; they may be harbouring an unwanted hitchhiker!
