Grass Seeds in Dogs: The Nose to Toes Check After Every Walk
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Grass seeds in dogs: check nose to toes
Every spring the same dogs walk into our Tranmere salon. One is licking a single paw. One has a red bump between two toes. One has a neat shaved square and fresh stitches where a vet has just gone in after a seed. Grass seeds are tiny, barbed and they only travel one way. The good news is that most can be caught at home, in about a minute, if you know where to look.
Check after every walk, and keep summer coats short
Grass seed season runs from spring right through summer. This is the routine our groomers swear by:
- Do the Nose to Toes check after every walk through grass you are not sure about: eyes and nose, lips, chin, ears, armpits, belly, pads and toes.
- Rinse the feet after every walk and towel dry between the toes.
- Keep clipped coats short for summer and ask us for poodle feet.
- Stay on a strict grooming schedule until autumn.
- Seed on the fur? Lift it off. Seed gone in? Your vet, the same day.
In this guide
How seed savvy are you? Eight questions, two minutes
Most owners we meet have never been told half of this. See how you go, then share it with someone whose dog loves long grass.
When do Adelaide vets see the most grass seed cases?
The answer. As the grasses dry off and drop their seed, cases climb. An Adelaide vet puts southern Australia's season at October through to the end of the year, and in our salon it runs right through summer.
Which weed causes most of the trouble?
The answer. Barley grass. Its seeds have a sharp point and tiny barbs that grab the coat as your dog brushes past. Spear grass, wild oats and brome do the same. A neatly mown lawn is far lower risk than an unmown verge or a paddock edge.
Where do grass seeds turn up most often?
The answer. The paws first, then the ears, then the nose. Between the toes is the classic spot, which is why the Nose to Toes check finishes at the feet and takes its time there.
After a walk, your dog suddenly starts shaking its head and will not stop. What is the likely culprit?
The answer. Sudden, frantic head shaking after a walk in seed season points to a seed in the ear canal. That is a same day vet visit, not a wait and see.
Which coat is most at risk?
The answer. Charles Sturt University found dogs with medium length coats were three times more likely to have grass seed problems, because a dense undercoat holds a seed against the skin. Long, fluffy and curly coats are not off the hook either; they are simply better at hiding them.
Will a grass seed work its way back out on its own?
The answer. The barbs face backwards, so every step pushes the seed further in and nothing pulls it back out. Seeds do not dissolve either. Waiting only gives it more time to travel.
Will a grass seed show up on a normal X ray?
The answer. Plant material does not show on a standard X ray, which is why a seed that has travelled can need a CT scan, or surgery, just to find it. Catching it on the surface is so much easier for everyone.
Why do so many owners ask us for poodle feet in summer?
The answer. Poodle feet means the hair on the feet is clipped short and neat, so the toes, pads and the skin between them are all on show. One quick look after a walk tells you everything. We add it to any Tidy Up or Full Groom from $15.
Nose to Toes Pro
You know seed season inside out. Pass the quiz on to someone who walks a fluffy dog; it could save them a very big vet bill.
Sharp eyes
You know more than most owners we meet. The Nose to Toes check below fills in the gaps, and it takes about a minute.
Seed spotter in training
Honestly, most owners we meet have never been told any of this. The Nose to Toes check below takes about a minute, and you will be catching seeds tonight.
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The Nose to Toes check: eight spots after every walk
Tap each number, check that spot on your own dog, then tick it off. Part the hair right down to the skin every time; a seed hides under the fluff, not on top of it. Check both sides and all four paws.
0 of 8 checked
Eight spots, about a minute
Tap any number on the dog, or start at the nose and we will walk you down to the toes. Check each spot on your own dog as you go.
Between the toes
That is Nose to Toes done
Rinse the feet, towel dry between the toes, and you are finished. Do it after every walk through grass you are not sure about, right through to the end of summer.
The whole Nose to Toes check as a list
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Eyes and nose
Look at both eyes, check the corners, and glance at the nostrils. Never try to pull anything out of an eye or a nostril yourself.
Watch for: squinting, a sudden watery eye, a sudden violent sneezing fit, pawing at the nose. That is a vet visit the same day, and a closed or painful eye is urgent.
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Under the lips
Gently lift the lips and look along the gum line and into the fold at the corner of the mouth. We have seen seeds lodged in places you would never think to look. Look only; anything stuck inside the mouth is a job for your vet.
Watch for: pawing at the mouth, drooling, not wanting to chew, a swelling on the face.
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Under the chin
Tilt the head up and run your fingers under the chin, along the jawline and down the throat, including under the collar.
Watch for: a swelling under the jaw, rubbing the face along the ground or furniture.
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Ears
Lift each ear flap, check the hair on the inside of the flap and look at the opening. Never poke anything into the ear canal.
Watch for: sudden head shaking, a tilted head, scratching at one ear. That is a vet visit the same day.
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Armpits
Lift each front leg and part the hair in the armpit and down the inside of the leg. Seeds collect here as your dog pushes through grass.
Watch for: licking or nibbling at the armpit, a tender spot, a small lump.
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Belly, groin and harness lines
Run your hands over the belly, inside the back legs and under the tail, then along every line where the harness or collar sits.
Watch for: licking one spot, a lump that keeps coming back or weeps.
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Under the paw and pads
Turn each foot over and look between and around every pad, especially where fluff grows over them. Fluffy pads are a perfect hiding place.
Watch for: a sore foot when you touch it, swelling, limping or walking gingerly.
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Between the toes
Spread each toe apart, front and back feet, and look all the way down to the skin. Run a fingertip through the hair between them. This is where we find more seeds than anywhere else.
Watch for: licking one foot, a red bump or blister between the toes or on top of the paw, a tiny hole, limping.
Why something smaller than a fingernail can end in surgery
A grass seed is built to travel one way, and a dog is the perfect ride.
Barley grass, spear grass, wild oats and brome all grow seeds with a sharp point and backward facing barbs. Brush past one and it grabs the coat. Every step after that works it closer to the skin, and once the point goes in, the barbs stop it backing out. Seeds do not dissolve, so it keeps going.
Most stop in the foot, the ear or the nose. A few travel further, into the chest or the belly, which is rare but serious. Plant material does not show on a standard X ray either, so a seed that has moved can need a CT scan, or surgery, just to find it.
A seed on the fur costs nothing. A seed under the skin costs a vet visit. A seed that travels can cost thousands.
| Stage | What you see | Who sorts it | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| On the fur | A seed sitting in the coat or between the toes | You, with your fingers | Nothing |
| Just gone in | A tiny hole, a red bump, licking, limping, head shaking | Your vet, usually with sedation | Around $350 to $750 |
| Travelling | Swelling away from where it went in, a lump that weeps, an unwell dog | Your vet or a specialist, often with imaging and surgery | Into the thousands |
Costs vary between clinics and with every case. Figures are from published Australian vet price guides; a CT scan alone is listed at $1,200 to $2,500 at one Australian hospital.
Poodle feet and a short summer coat: the groomer's fix
You cannot check what you cannot see. That is the whole case for trimming down for summer. Tap between the two feet below.
Our summer plan for seed season
- Keep clipped coats short. Oodles, Poodles, Maltese, Shih Tzus and Schnauzer crosses are far easier to check with a shorter summer trim. Fleece and curly coats hide seeds beautifully, which is exactly the problem.
- Ask for poodle feet. The feet clipped short and neat, so the toes, the pads and the skin between them are on show. We add it to a Tidy Up or a Full Groom, from $15 extra.
- Rinse the feet after every walk. Run water through the toes, then towel dry properly between them, checking as you go.
- Stick to a strict schedule. Every four to six weeks through summer. Let the coat grow out and you lose sight of the seeds, and then it is one problem after another.
- Brush through to the skin. A coat brushed right down to the skin gives a seed nowhere to sit unnoticed. A mist of Dogify Detangling Spray helps the brush glide instead of snag. Follow the label, keep it away from eyes and sore skin, and remember no coat product treats a seed that has gone in.
Poodle feet can be added to a Tidy Up or a Full Groom, from $15 extra. Just ask us at drop off.
Found a grass seed on your dog? What to do next
It all comes down to one question: has it gone in yet?
Lift it off
Pick it off with your fingers, check the skin underneath, then keep checking. Where there is one seed, look for more.
Your vet, today
Do not dig, squeeze or pull. Never try to remove one from an eye, inside an ear, the nose or the mouth. Once a seed disappears under the skin, a vet needs to remove it, usually with sedation. The sooner, the simpler.
Your vet, today
Sudden head shaking or a tilted head, a violent sneezing fit, a squinting or weepy eye, licking one paw, a lump that swells or weeps, or a dog that is unusually tired or off their food. Go even if you cannot see a thing.
Grass seed questions we hear in the salon
When is grass seed season in Adelaide?
Spring into summer. Grasses dry off and drop their seed from around October, and cases stay high through to the end of the year and right through summer. Watch the grass on your usual walks too; once it turns dry and seedy, the season has started for your dog.
Where do grass seeds get stuck in dogs?
Most often between the toes, then in the ears, then up the nose. We also check the paw pads, armpits, under the chin, under the lips, the eyes, the belly and groin, and every line where a harness or collar sits. A seed can lodge almost anywhere a coat brushes through grass.
How do I check my dog for grass seeds?
Do the Nose to Toes check after every walk through grass you are not sure about: the eyes and nose, under the lips, under the chin, the ears, the armpits, the belly and harness lines, then under the paws and between the toes. Part the hair right down to the skin rather than skimming the top. Once it is a habit it takes about a minute.
Will a grass seed come out on its own?
No. The barbs face backwards, so movement pushes a seed further in rather than out, and seeds do not dissolve. A seed sitting on the fur can be lifted off. Once one has gone into the skin, leave it alone and see your vet the same day. A dog that seems better for a day or two does not mean the seed has gone.
How much does it cost to remove a grass seed from a dog?
Caught early, a simple removal usually costs a few hundred dollars; Australian vet price guides put it at around $350 to $750. If a seed has travelled, your vet may need imaging such as a CT scan and surgery to find it, and the bill can run into the thousands. A seed caught on the fur costs nothing.
What are poodle feet?
Poodle feet means the hair on the feet is clipped short and neat, so the toes, pads and the skin between them are all on show. It is one of our most requested finishes in summer, because a seed has nowhere to hide and a quick look after a walk tells you everything. We can add poodle feet to a Tidy Up or a Full Groom, from $15 extra.
Should I shave my dog for grass seed season?
It depends on the coat. Coats that are clipped anyway, like oodles, Poodles, Maltese and Shih Tzus, are much easier to check when they are kept short through summer. Double coated dogs such as Labradors, Kelpies and Border Collies should not be shaved; a proper deshed thins out the dense undercoat that holds seeds, and tidy feet do the rest.
Which dogs are most at risk from grass seeds?
Any dog that walks through dry grass. Research from Charles Sturt University found dogs with medium length coats were three times more likely to have grass seed problems, because a dense undercoat holds seeds against the skin. Long, fluffy and curly coats hide seeds well too, which is why we keep them short over summer. Short coated dogs still need checking, especially the paws, ears and face.
Can a vet find a grass seed on an X ray?
Often not. A grass seed is plant material and usually does not show on a standard X ray, so your vet may use ultrasound or a CT scan depending on where it is. A normal X ray does not rule out a seed, which is why catching it on the fur matters so much.