06/11/2026
🌾 Cheatgrass (Also known as Foxtails) season is here EARLY this year…
Thanks to our warmer winter, everything is blooming sooner than expected — and cheatgrass is EVERYWHERE right now. You can find it in backyards, fence lines, canal banks, campsites, walking trails, fields and even matted into coats. 😬
For dogs AND cats, these sharp little grass awns can become embedded in:
• Skin folds/armpits 💪
• Coats and mats 💇♀️
•Paws: 🐾 Seeds get trapped in the webbing between toes and under paw pads, burrowing upward into the leg.
•Ears: 👂 Can cause intense head-shaking, chronic ear infections, and even ruptured eardrums.
•Eyes & Nose: 👁 /👃 Leads to squinting, heavy discharge, and frequent sneezing.
•Internal organs: 🫁 In severe cases, seeds migrate through the chest wall or abdomen, reaching vital organs like the lungs.
The tricky part? 🔥
Cheatgrass seeds are barbed and designed to only move in one direction. As your dog moves, the seeds continuously dig deeper into the tissue instead of falling off or out.
A few simple prevention tips:
✔️ Do a Daily Head-to-Toe Check: Every time you return from an outdoor walk, thoroughly brush your dog and check their entire body. Pay special attention to the ears, under the collar, armpits, and between the toes.
✔️ Brush pets regularly, especially long-haired pets.
✔️ Check paws, ears, armpits, and coats after outdoor time
✔️ Maintain Your Yard: Clear your property of wild weeds and grasses to minimize exposure at home.
✔️ Remove mats/tangles where cheatgrass likes to hide. Keeping your pet well brushed will help aid in discovering those seeds.
✔️ Watch for sudden sneezing, licking, limping, swelling, vomiting, or head shaking
✔️ Avoid Tall, Dry Grass: Stick to cleared trails and avoid fields where cheatgrass has turned brown and brittle ("if it's brown, turn around!")
The sooner cheatgrass is found, the easier (and less painful) it usually is to remove.
If your dog has been running through dry, grassy areas, carefully monitor them for the following red flags: 🚩
➡️Persistent licking or chewing at their paws (especially between toes).
➡️Head shaking, tilting, or scratching at the ears.
➡️Sudden sneezing fits or pawing at the nose and face.
➡️Squinting, rubbing, or excessive discharge from the eyes.
➡️Limping or avoiding putting weight on a leg.
Swollen bumps or abscesses (often with a small drainage hole) on the skin.
⚠️ Be safe & “Avoid the spicy grass”. 🌶