Warning to pet owners over 'dangerous' grass seeds which left dog needing major surgery

A warning has been issued to dog owners after a dog almost died from breathing in grass seeds while on a walk.

15-month-old cocker spaniel Archie needed major surgery to save its life after breathing in the seeds while out in Oxfordshire.

Vets say despite the current high temperatures, the recent soggy summer has led to a surge in grass seeds cases and Archie's owner Laetisia is urging other owners to be aware of the potential dangers.

“Archie is usually full of energy, but he was really off and wasn’t eating or drinking,” said Laetisia, from Chipping Norton.

“We had no idea what was causing it, but his breathing became laboured and he looked so unwell one evening we knew we had to get some help.

“He couldn’t really stand up and I was so worried I drove him straight to the hospital.”

Archie was given an X-ray and CT scans which showed he had a collapsed lung and two abscesses, containing a total of four seeds, in his chest cavity.

Clinical Director at Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital Dr Peter Kettlewell said: “The chances of these seeds not causing catastrophic complications was virtually nil, so surgery was required.

“These seeds could have been breathed in days or even weeks before.

“Although we see many problems caused by grass seeds every summer, we are having a particularly bad season this year. We have seen a lot of dogs with grass seeds not just in their paws and ears, but also inhaled.

“They can be really dangerous and dogs that sniff the grass heavily, like spaniels, are particularly prone to problems."

Luckily Archie's operation was a success and he was allowed home within 72 hours.

“He’s bouncy and happy again and we are just so grateful to everyone at the hospital for all they did,” said Laetisia.

“I had absolutely no idea of the dangers before, but now I’ve seen these arrowhead grass seeds everywhere.

“I’ve really been thinking through where we take him on walks. I’ve been taking him more to woodland areas where there’s not such dense grass and lots of seeds."

“It was really worrying, and I’ve been trying to make as many people as possible aware of what can happen.”

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