Help help help.  My schnauzer, Poppy, trots happily through grass, which has grass seeds in it, which immediately leap into her wiry fur and ends up embedded in between her toes and occasionally in her eyes.  She had to be sedated last year to have her eyes rinsed and and in between her paws rinsed too due to the amount of the little bu**ers stuck in there.  Obviously, this year we've been even more careful, but this year, like last, all the brushing and watching where we've taken her hasn't helped and they are BACK its like an invasion.  She is now so wary of anyone (i.e me, armed with brush) coming near her paws or anyone (yep, me again! armed with eye rinse) coming near her eyes that she's started to get aggressive, when I touched one of her paws earlier she made it VERY clear that she didn't want me anywhere near her.

Should I try and cut the fur round her paws very close?  She's just got such sticky type of fur, sometimes her beard picks up whole branches!

Also, she got hand stripped on Saturday and I've been having to rinse her eyes ever since due to bits of hair in them.  As we sit here my poor little dog is very red eyed, weeping slightly and tugging at the fur on her paws.  I know its the Vets tomorrow but apart from keeping her indoors for the whole of summer has anyone got any advice please?

x Jo x

I'd cut the fur between her pads really short if I were you.  Try having a Spanish Water Dog with a full coat, or actually 4 for that matter and sitting their getting each and every grass seed out :d  It's great fun, NOT!

Well I've just practically sat on her to have a look at her paws and (despite doing the same thing yesterday and cleaning everything out) in between her toes today is practically full of them!  And I've found out what is causing her bother, two of those pointy seeds that actually looks like a dart with feathers and stuff on were stuck right in but every time i get close she's getting more and more angry, i've got one out but she won't let me near her now.  :( 

The reason she's getting upset is that the seed is probably hurting (you can just imagine can't you?) but if you let her calm down for a few hours and wait till she's relaxing with you and some tiny treats ;) ;) you may have more success.  Perhaps a tweezers would help get the blighter out?

In the long term try training her when there's no grass seeds about, this should become just another interaction with you, it can be rewarding ;) just give her tiny (1/2 little fingernail size) treats every time she lets you touch her paws and work up to combing them in between the toes.  The best way to get out the seeds stuck in between her toes is to use an eyebrow tweezers or similar.  A comb or your fingers would also be more effective than a brush at getting the little b*gg*rs out of her fur.

Can't you find anywhere else to walk her?  There must be a park somewhere where the grass is cut and doesn't go to seed?

This is a good reason to get your dogs used to having their paws (and other sensitive bits) handled when they are very young ;)

My Briards are very prone to grass seeds and all kinds of other nasties getting stuck in their paws, beards, undercarriage..... I trim their paw hair in between the pads and around the shape of the foot very short, once a week, it grows so quickly. If I get a particularly stubborn seed that is causing pain, I soak the paw (easier said than done in some cases, I know) in warm salt water and use tweezers to gently pull it out when the skin and seed is softer. Sometimes if there is a tiny hole there afterwards I put a drop of diluted tea tree oil on it. :)

HTH

Hi, I know the problem, I have a mini schnauzer and she gets everything stuck to her, even cut grass from the park and those sticky bud things, little b-g-ers. Kizzy is not shown so I was able to have her clipped right down, she has been groomed everyday since she was a baby and is very good but every now and then, when one of those Dart things are there we have a bit of a stuggle. The clipping has made it much easyer to see if any thing is there or not. Viv

How about some vaseline between the pads before going out walking.  It works for mine.

Sounds good, will buy some tomorrow and give it a go. Only trouble is we have polished wooden floors in dinning room will have to make sure Kizzy does not go sliding into the wall.lol. Viv

Well these are all good suggestions, i shall have to try some!  Took her to vets tonight and she has conjunctivitis and a seed had worked its way in to her paw so she's on antibiotics.. 

Poppy is usually very good and patient at letting me touch her paws, as well as her face and eyebrows etc, she's got used to it.  However, anything too near near the end, near her claws and she gets a bit uncomfortable, especially if she's hurting anyway.  I think its due to the fact that when she had her first hair cut and claw trim the guy said she moved quickly and he cut much more of her claw off than he intended to.  She was very upset and bleeding. (We never went back, she had cuts all over her, was positively traumatised :( .

As to finding a field with no grass seeds.  We have been taking her to places where the grass is cut short but I'm finding it impossible to avoid them completely.  Her fur really is 'sticky' and I guess I will just have to battle on! 

What about Paw Protector Booties? They are pretty much indestructable and will definitely protect the paws against grass seeds. Check this page: http://www.doggon-uk.com/products.html

OK Poppy has to go into the vets tomorrow, shes been given antibioctics but they haven't worked, she is still pulling her hair out of her paw and has now started tugging on her claws.  shes been sedated many times in her short life and I'm a bit worried about it, does anyone know the risks?  Do they increase with each sedation?  is there another option?

Jo  :(

We don't have the same type of grass seeds in Scotland (so I am led to believe by my English vet!) but we still get the burrs etc.,  What I do with my cocker who seems to get them all in his feet is to put some coat oil on him around his feet.  This makes all the difference as the seeds don't get trapped and simply slide out with a comb.

Hope this helps.

Annie

Jodenice,

I've been thinking of poor Poppy's problem and there is a grooming spray which should work :) Its called "The Stuff "
It's a Coat conditioner. "Cuts grooming time and removes tangles. Helps repel dirt, dust and urine by forming a protective barrier." I have used it and it really does work :) :D it can be bought from Hub International and similar places

http://www.hubintsecured.co.uk/acatalog/The_Stuff_Grooming_Spray.html

Hope this helps
Regards
Dill

Oh thanks people, I shall give this a go, keep your fingers crossed for Pops tomorrow!  Its interesting to see the last two replies offer the same kind of solution so i shall definitely be making a purchase!  :)