Roz, a springer, after surgery to extract grass awn and resulting abscess. Two ribs were removed in the process and mesh was used to close the abdominal wall.

Some conservation groups have favored Canada wild rye as a low cost "cover crop" for new conservation plantings that provides nesting habitat and feed for gamebirds. Virginia wild rye is a similar plant, but with a somewhat less aggressive awn.

Foxtail awns are more commonly acquired through the skin, generally in the feet, ears or nose, thus a careful inspection of the dog after leaving the field may allow removal and avert any illness. With awns that more likely have been ingested, while a good going over after a workout never hurts, odds are that the damage has already been done by the time you and your dog leave the field.

BW: What are the symptoms of a grass awn infection?

CL: One of the major dangers of a grass awn infection is that symptoms can be very subtle until the dog is gravely ill. Knowing your dog and recognizing when he or she is "just a little off" is one of the best protections you can offer. Routinely check your dog for swellings, particularly at the lower rear sections of the ribcage, a prime site for abscess development.

The dog may cough, show a loss of stamina, and in a more advanced case involving an infection in the chest and/or lungs, may show difficulty breathing. As we have experienced these infections in our dogs I have learned to be very concerned about a temperature of around 104 degrees. This isn't necessarily high enough to alarm your veterinarian, but it's been telltale with all of our cases.

While companion dogs can be at risk, grass awn infections more typically affect working dogs. Unfortunately for many of us, our veterinarians are not necessarily up to speed on this sort of problem to where this is high up on their possibility list for differential diagnosis.

Time may be of the essence when you realize that your dog may be affected, so your dog's best chance may be you raising this as a possibility with your vet. I suggest printing out some material now and asking your vet to put it in your file so that it is readily available if it's needed [3].

BW: How will an infection be treated?

CL: The best piece of advice on this issue that I've received to date comes from Dr. James Mills of Searcy, AR–if you have even a remote suspicion that your dog has been exposed to hazardous plant material and your dog has symptoms with no other immediate cause, start treating the dog as though it has a grass awn infection until you can definitely determine another diagnosis.

The bacteria that create these infections are typically anaerobic, which grow in an environment without air. This complicates specimen collection and culture growth, since exposure to oxygen may prevent or retard reproduction of the bacteria in the sample; consequently culture results are often nonspecific or incomplete. Commencement of treatment should not be delayed to wait for culture reports.