A vet has urged dog owners to check over their pets each and every time they return home from a walk.
The animal expert says owners risk forking out “hundreds, if not thousands of pounds” by failing to check for grass seeds on their pet after a walk.
She said: “At this time of year, grass seeds are rife. If you don’t already know, grass seeds can get stuck in a dog’s paws, ears, eyes, nose, mouth and throat.
“They can cost you hundreds if not thousands of pounds [to have removed] and cause your dog a lot of pain and suffering.”
Adding to this, she says she checks over her dog every single time she returns home from a walk – whether it be a wood walk, field walk or pavement walk.
In her video, she is seen checking between her dog’s toes, looking inside his ears, as well as looking around the eyes, nose and mouth.
Pulling a grass seed from his paw, she added: “There we go. These grass seeds can get stuck in your dog’s toes, especially if you have a long-haired dog like mine.
“The sharp bit on the end can pierce the skin and it ends up tracking up and they can get lost. These can be really, really dangerous.
“Please, every time you bring your dog home from a dog walk, please check them. These can get stuck absolutely everywhere so be aware, keep an eye out for grass seeds.”
Commenting on her video, one user said: “Thank you for showing the grass seed! I always get stressed in case I’ve missed one by not looking thoroughly enough but I had no idea they were this size, I’ve been looking for minuscule seed.”
Another user added: “I don’t take my dog anywhere near grass seeds on our walks.”
A third user said: “The prices the vets charge are disgusting the government need to step in and review them.”
One more user added: “I live in a rural village and I’ve always checked for seeds. Unfortunately, my eldest inhaled one which we didn’t know until such time he had a massive lump. Long story short, he’s ok, it nearly punctured his stomach. Vets were a nightmare, glad I acted when I did.”
A final user said: “When my dog was a puppy he ate one it got stuck inside in his face threw his mouth and one side of his face got swollen he was antibiotics for a week and the face went doe as soon as he finished the antibiotics his face was swollen again.
“He had to be operated to see what was causing it and they found grass seed. It cost us a fortune to operate him and the visits to the vets after.”