Romeo the Retriever’s Run-In with a Grass Seed

Did you know that grass seeds can cause very dangerous infections in pets? It’s a lesser-known outdoor hazard that pet parents should be aware of. These seeds don’t just get stuck in your pet’s coat, they can penetrate the skin and cause infection. Dogs + grass seeds don’t mix!

This happened to Cambridge pup Romeo last year and led to some serious complications that required an emergency vet visit. This is Romeo’s story.

Meet Romeo

Romeo, a gorgeous Golden Retriever, is an integral part of his human family. They welcomed him in May 2021 at 9 weeks old.

“We spent many hours at the breeder looking for the cuddliest Golden Retriever in a litter of 11! He’s a long awaited fur baby,” says his pet parent.

She describes him as a constant, quiet and gentle presence, always there to give and receive hugs. Romeo is adored by his humans and is a source of joy and laughter in their house with his goofy, hilarious ways.

Romeo heads off to the vet

In August last year, his pet parent noticed Romeo was listless and not eating: “Romeo is a happy soul, so I knew something was up.”

She noticed his inner hind leg was swollen under all his fur. They took him to the vet who prescribed antibiotics.

“The swelling went down and we thought it must have been an infection from a bite from a playful puppy that had come to visit that had healed,” she says.

But three months later Romeo had the same symptoms come up again. They took him to the vet again, who booked him in for an urgent MRI. The vet suspected a grass seed might be the cause. As mentioned, grass seed infections in dogs are a lesser-known danger that can lead to serious complications.

“Christmas was under three weeks away and having never heard of this before I was shocked to hear that grass seeds can create such havoc once they make their way into a dog’s system,” she says.

The vet suspected the seed may have entered through his paw and tracked up Romeo’s leg. They only had a few days to wait for him to have his MRI.

The MRI results indicated there was considerable tissue damage and a large pocket of fluid, but it didn’t show a grass seed. The vet took Romeo’s blood and the tests ruled out several diseases.

“We were given a couple of options but we elected to go for exploratory surgery,” says his pet parent. “Romeo wasn’t in a good way and we didn’t want to delay getting him what he needed.”

Surgery time

Christmas was coming up, and the idea of waiting and doing more tests with only a skeleton vet clinic staff for the holiday period was not in Romeo’s best interest or something his pet parent wanted to contend with.

“The vet moved extremely swiftly on Friday and on our consent had Romeo booked in for surgery as soon as there was availability, which was first thing Monday morning.”

It wasn’t until the surgery that they found the grass seed between his left femoral musculature. The seed was deeply embedded and had caused an anaerobic infection – a bacterial infection that happens in areas of the body where oxygen levels are low, such as in deep tissues.

“It had created tunnels as it tracked along and left behind decaying tissue. A big mess!” she says.

Romeo the dog’s grass seed treatment

Romeo was given a large drain to help eliminate foreign material and dead space. The vet team watched him closely after this pretty invasive surgery, and he was cleared to go home after three nights.

“We followed up his treatment and recovery at home with very heavy-duty antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication and pain relief meds.” says his pet parent.

Since then, Romeo is back to his happy self and as affectionate as ever.

“His fur is still growing back but he is back on our walks around the lake and in the forest with his fur friends -living the dream!”

His pet parent says what helped was having Romeo’s surgery covered through his PD dog insurance plan. They got puppy insurance when Romeo was little, something she’s very glad she did.

“We couldn’t be happier with the whole experience from PD; there was no hesitation and fuss over our claim. Once I’d collated the clinical notes and receipts it was sorted,” says his pet parent.

What to know about grass seeds and dogs

Like many pet parents, Romeo’s owner says she’d never heard of grass seed infections before.

“I was so shocked to hear how these small seeds can make their way into a dog’s lungs, and through their nose to their brains!” she says. “They also find their way to their spines and can paralyse them.”

She says they feel very fortunate they were able to get Romeo the best treatment immediately.

“If we hadn’t done the surgery then he may not be with us today. It could have been a very different Christmas for our little family.”

Since their experience, she says two friends have had to send their dogs for surgery to extract grass seeds that they weren’t able to get out themselves. 

As a warning to pet parents, Romeo’s owner says:

“Be very careful in meadows and through long grasses. Make sure you thoroughly brush your dog and check their fur and paws for grass seeds.

I found three seeds in his fur not that long after his surgery when he was back and bouncing. He managed to find a patch of long grass I didn’t see … scary! If they lick or fuss over their paws check to see what’s bothering them.”

Insurance for dog grass seed infections and more

Did you ever think that grass seeds could cause so many problems for your pet? That’s the nature of accidents and illnesses – they’re almost always unexpected. For the peace of mind knowing your fur ball is covered against the unforeseen, consider pet insurance.

PD is an award winning brand that offers value rich, month to month cover for your pet. The sooner you invest in a pet plan, the broader the range of cover they get – especially when they’re still a puppy or kitten.

Having dog insurance helps the answer to speedy, stress-free vet treatments be a ‘yes’. Get a quick quote below.