Dangerous grass awn
The season of grass awns begins. It may occur in the paws and ears of our pet friends
Walking outdoors, your pet can experience unpleasant health problems. Plant seeds can be protected by a very sharp wrapper.
Dangerous piece of grass
The grass awns can be stuck not only in the paws but also in the ears and eyes. It can be danger not only for paws, but for all parts of the animal body - hidden even in places where it is often not expected.
How does grass bloom?
The blossom of grass looks a little different than the flowers of other plants. The reason is simple. Pollination takes place through the wind, so grass does not have to spend energy to create colorful petals to attract insects. But the grass blossom still needs protection. It is provided by the husks that end up with a bristly protuberance called an awn. So the husks form the seed cover and make it easier to get into the soil.
How do awns harm the animals
The elastic animal skin will not only release the donor, but will usually close behind it. Thus, pain gets into the subcutis that it hurts and infects mechanically. The result is painful inflammation. The animal is limping, usually very intensely affecting the affected area, and in particularly severe cases, temperature and anorexia appear. The skin between some fingers is red and hot, and the area is painful to the touch. After a short period of time, a suppurating lump appears in the interdigital space, and the process becomes open from a closed purulent process. Most of the time, the animal is heavily relieved, but that does not mean that the matter is resolved.
Not only does it have the ability to easily penetrate the animal skin, but also the unpleasant tendency to move through the body. It often happens that in the place where it penetrated into the skin, a purulent deposit will form over time, but the pain will go on and cause further inflammation, eg on the underside of the paw or around the wrist bones.
It is certainly not possible to say that every inflammation that occurs in the interdigital layer is caused by a pain. Nor can it be said that pain does not cause problems in other parts of the animal's body. It often fits into the external auditory canal or catches in the conjunctival sac. It can always be a difficult and difficult to diagnose problem.
Therapy
Treatment is not quite simple. Usually the affected area is cut and the pain is removed. Due to its size and travel abilities, it may not be quite easy to find the awn. In any case, the treatment should only be performed by a veterinarian.
Warning: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace the professional consultation or examination of the animal by a veterinarian. If you have any doubts about your pet's health, contact your veterinarian immediately.
25.07.2021
