We just had a close call with our female dog I wanted to share. We just started our vacation in Colorado and noticed our dog Lily wasn‘t very interested in her food and somewhat lethargic. We thought it was probably travel or heat related. After another day of this we found a nearby vet and got her in. Bloodwork indicated possible infection. Xrays that followed showed fluid in the chest around the heart and lungs. Fortunately we were close to Colorado State where we were referred to. At CSU they did surgery, cutting her chest open and removing several abscesses and a lobe on one lung.The pathology reports indicate the abcesses were consistent with a grass awn. The level of infection in her indicate this began before we left home. FYI we live in north central Indiana. I called home and talked to my Vet and to people I train with and we were all of the same thought. Grass awns were something we had all heard of but not really a problem in our area. It may be a rare occurrence in my area but obviously it can happen. In the surgery they didn’t find the cause of the abcesses but termed it as “a migrating foreign body”. At CSU they do see grass awn problems and say it’s not uncommon to be unable to find the awn as it turns to mush in the infection. They also said everything they saw in Lily was consistent with a grass awn or it could have been some sort of splinter.
I am posting this just to keep everyone aware and vigilant. In the future I will always brush my dogs after training in tall grass to hopefully find and hidden awns and also check their feet for awns.
Also one other thing. Any future pups I get will have insurance to cover catastrophic events like this.
Lily is doing well and acting like nothing is wrong. No of leash walking for
5 more weeks. She has a good off switch indoors but we still have to make sure of no wrestling with the other dogs. Field dogs are in many types of terrain and water this is just one more thing for me to watch out for.
I am posting this just to keep everyone aware and vigilant. In the future I will always brush my dogs after training in tall grass to hopefully find and hidden awns and also check their feet for awns.
Also one other thing. Any future pups I get will have insurance to cover catastrophic events like this.
Lily is doing well and acting like nothing is wrong. No of leash walking for
5 more weeks. She has a good off switch indoors but we still have to make sure of no wrestling with the other dogs. Field dogs are in many types of terrain and water this is just one more thing for me to watch out for.
