Summertime is awn time! Many dog owners have been warned by others or via social media about the small plant particles. And even if opinions on how often dogs are actually affected vary widely depending on the dog owner, every owner should inform themselves in advance, because Awns are a real danger for dogs! FortunatelyHowever, the worst can usually be prevented with early detection and intervention.
What exactly you need to look out for and what you need to know about awning time with a dog, you can find out in this blog post!
What are awns?
Awns come from various grasses and ears of corn.Thesmall, bristly plant particles enclose the grain and are equipped with a hard tip on one side and rough stalks with small barbs. This structure is important for the plants, as it makes it easier for the seeds to be carried on and ultimately anchored well in the soil for germination. However, if dogs become involuntary transporters of the awns, this can have serious consequences!
Which grasses have awns?
Awns occur in various wild grasses, but cereals also have awns.
Here's what you need to know about the awns of common cereals:
- Barley - has very long awns.
- Rye - usually has medium-length awns.
- Wheat - often has only very short awns, sometimes even none at all!
When are awns present?
Most awn injuries in dogs occur due to cereals ripening in midsummer. AccordinglyAwn season in most Central European countries between June and August.
Not only is it dangerous to let your dog run through tall grass or across fields during these months, butduring harvest, the awns can come loose from the stalks and thus also land on footpaths or hiking trails where dogs can step in them or pick them up!
How dangerous are awns for dogs?
If awns are not detected and removed early,Awns can be very dangerous for dogs.
Due to the structure of the plant particles with the barbs, the awns not only get stuck in the fur, but alsocannot be removed by the dog itself by shaking. Insteadthe awns only move in one direction - towards the dog. If they hit the skin,they can pierce the dog's skin through the hard, sharp tip and move further inwards and cause a lot of damage in the process!
CommonConsequences of granules are infections, inflammations and abscesses. In addition, as small foreign bodies, they can also enter the dog's body through orifices such as the nose, mouth or ears. Here they are particularly difficult to remove due to the barbs and can lead to internal injuries in the dog
Are awns dangerous for humans?
Awns can also be dangerous for humans!
As with dogs, they can pierce the skin or enter the body through orifices and thus cause Injuries, inflammation, irritation or allergic reactions. For this reason, you should carefully check yourself and your dog for burrs after every walk and consult a doctor or vet if there are any abnormalities or problems, even after the burrs have been removed.
Grannen Hund Symptome
Since awns are perceived by your dog as foreign bodies, it reacts to the intruder by appropriate Behavioral and physical reactions. The exact nature of these can vary depending on the body region affected. The areas of the dog's body most frequently affected by burrs include the nose, eyes, ears, armpits, paws or between the toes and genital area.
Awn in the nose dog symptoms
If an awn enters the body through your dog's nose, common symptoms are:
- Severe and frequent sneezing of the dog (seizure-like)
- Nasal discharge (usually from the affected nostril)
- Rubbing the head on the floor or shaking the head vigorously
- Panting, coughing or other atypical breathing symptoms
Awn in the eye dog symptoms
If your dog's eyes are affected by awns,the symptoms are often similar to conjunctivitis in dogs. In this case, rapid treatment is important to prevent possible blindness. Symptoms include:
- Clenching of the affected eye or frequent blinking
- Swollen or reddened eye
- Prolapsed nictitating membrane
- Watery eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Excessive rubbing of the eye
Pit in ear dog symptoms
If a burr has penetrated your dog's earQuick help is important, otherwise the burr will work its way to the eardrum and injure it can. Symptoms of awns in the ear include:
- Increased scratching of the ear
- Shaking of the head
- Tilted head
- Discharge from the affected ear
- Unpleasant odor from the ear, redness or other signs of inflammation
Awn in the paw dog symptoms
If your dog has stepped on a burr and it has drilled into the paw or the spaces between the toes, the following symptoms may occur:
- Limping or limping of the dog
- Licking and nibbling at the affected paw
- Reddened or swollen areas on the paw
- Painful reactions when examining the paw
- In advanced stages, holes from penetration of the awn or purulent discharge
Awn in axilla or genital area dog symptoms
If awns are ingrown in other places, are stuck or are in the process of penetrating, they are often places where they have migrated due to the dog's movement and can no longer go any further. These include, for example, the armpits and genital area. Typical symptoms here are:
- Scratching, nibbling and licking the affected body region
- Frequent shaking
- Sensitivity to pain on palpation of the affected areas
- Lumps or abscesses due to the ingrown awn under the skin
What to do if your dog has burrs?
Basically:Once a burr has drilled into your dog's skin, it won't fall out on its own and you should also don't try to remove them yourself. In this case, an Immediate veterinary examination and treatment are important, because The longer you wait, the deeper it can penetrate into your dog's body and cause injury or inflammation! Possible Treatments for burrs in dogs include Treatment with traction ointment to bring the awn closer to the skin surface again, but also Surgical intervention. The exact treatment will be determined by your vet after a thorough examination. You should not try to treat ingrown burrs or burrs that have entered the body yourself beforehand!
Hast Du die If you discovered the awns in your dog's fur before they could penetrate the skin, you can still take action yourself:Carefully remove them by hand, with tweezers or with a Kamm.
Caution: If you brush your dog with awns in its fur, you can inadvertently bring them even closer to the skin and increase the risk of injury. We therefore recommend brushing the Thoroughly brush the dog by hand first, remove the awns and only then brush it.
What to do if there are awns in the paw?
The same procedure applies here as for other affected areas of the body: If the Awn is superficial in the intercoat of the paws and not yet through the dog's skin, you can Carefully remove it with your hand or tweezers. If it has already penetrated the skin and tissue of the paw, you should visit a vet as soon as possible!
How can I protect my dog from awns?
The best way to prevent awns on dogs is to be proactive!
Be careful at awning timeDon't let your dog run through tall grasses and also keep an eye on the ground when walking along the edge of a field so that your dog doesn't step in loose awns on the path. If fields and meadows with lots of awns are unavoidable on walks, the Use of dog shoes can also be helpful to protect the paws from awns.
If your dog has jumped through the tall grass in an unplanned way, you should now in particular - but ideally after every walk -check your dog's coat and body carefully to remove awns from the coat and other parts of the body early on, even before they can cause damage!
