08/28/2026
Educational post 🐾🐾
🐾 DOG SAFETY ALERT — FOXTAIL & GRASS AWNS 🐾
This is something every dog owner should be aware of, especially if your dog spends time running through fields, tall grass or along unmowed areas.
Foxtail and other dangerous grass awns may look harmless, but once the seed heads mature, dry and harden, their sharp barbed pieces can become a serious hazard to dogs.
They can become lodged between the toes, under the skin, in the ears, eyes, mouth or nose — and can even be inhaled. Because of their shape, certain grass awns tend to move forward rather than backing themselves out, allowing them to migrate deeper into tissue and potentially cause infection, abscesses and, in rare cases, serious internal complications.
Watch your dog after being in tall or dry grass. Sudden repeated sneezing, pawing at the nose or face, head shaking, squinting, nasal discharge, limping, excessive licking of a paw or an unexplained swelling are all reasons to take a closer look and contact your veterinarian.
Prevention is much easier than removal. Keep foxtail-type grasses cut before they mature and dry, and check your dog's feet and between the toes, ears, armpits, belly and groin after time in tall grass.
🌱 The pictures show what these grasses can look like while green and as the seed heads mature and dry.
A little awareness can prevent a very painful—and potentially serious—problem for our dogs. ❤️🐾