I love the warmer months as it means spending time at the lake, nice long walks in the forest and lazy afternoons. Unfortunately for our pets, especially our dogs, summer does come with some challenges.
We are heading into the grass seed season which is a very common problem for dogs in the summer months. Speaking from experience grass seeds can be very nasty and can also do a lot of damage.
The seeds have pointy ends which enables them to burrow into the skin and travel their way around the dog’s body. They can also make their way into your dog’s eyes, ears, nose and paws.
If your dog has managed to pick up a grass seed you will generally see the below signs:
- Excessive licking/chewing/biting at the paws
- Pawing at their head/ears
- Limping
- Shaking of the head
- Swelling (especially between the toes)
- Excessive sneezing (grass seed may be in the nose)
I make it a habit of checking Willow over after every walk as she loves bounding through the long grass. She has short fur so by running my hands over her coat I can usually feel anything that shouldn’t be there. With dogs that have longer fur, it can be more difficult so a thorough check is recommended.
It is also very important that you check under the collar, between the toes, inside the ears and around the eyes/nose.
You can also minimise the risk by keeping the fur around their ears and paws shorter. This inhibits the grass seed from sticking and burrowing into the skin.
Below are my top 2 homeopathic remedies that I have used in the past to help expel the grass seeds:
Silica: This is a great remedy that helps expel any foreign bodies that can turn septic. I recommend that this remedy is not given to dogs that are micro-chipped as it can expel the chip!
Myristica: This is a very good alternative to Silica as it can also help expel any foreign bodies.
If you do notice a grass seed in your dogs coat or on the surface of their skin, remove it straight away.
If you do find a seed that has started working its way into your dog’s skin or if you see your dog licking/chewing/biting constantly in one particular area, please contact your local animal homeopath or vet straight away.
