Foxtails and cheatgrass a threat to pets

Remember all that rain we had last spring? As any farmer will tell you, rain makes the grass grow, and in Central Oregon, grass means foxtail barley and cheatgrass, both of which can be real trouble for livestock and pets.

This is going to be - and in some places already is - a banner year for the seeds of both grasses, and those abundant seeds are of special concern to livestock owners and dog people.

While foxtail barley is a native plant, and when found, is usually very noticeable for its seed head which resembles a fox's tail, cheatgrass is a non-native noxious weed, and found everywhere in Central Oregon, and you don't notice it until it gets in your socks.

Like many of our more obnoxious weeds, cheat was carried here with the first sheep imported from Europe. Every time we have a wildfire - either rangeland or forest - cheatgrass is the first thing to grow after the fire.

Cheatgrass and fox-tail seeds have a one-way exterior that, once caught in hair, fur, skin or animal tissue, keeps going in one direction. They are like quills of a porcupine, incapable of backing out once they start in.

Hikers who have come home after walking through cheatgrass know what those seeds feel like as they work their way into their socks and then into the skin of their feet.

Dogs know what cheatgrass seeds feel like when they work their way into the soft tissue between their toes. The seeds also get into the nose and ears and throats of dogs, and sometimes in the corner of their eyes.

There are some first-aid steps to remove seeds (such as mineral oil for seeds in ears), but if you're not sure, go to a veterinarian for help; the longer you wait, the greater the chance of a serious infection.

Dr. Little Liedblad of Broken Top Veterinary clinic reminds dog owners that the best thing to do is check your dog over very carefully (just like you would one of your kids for ticks) after you've been hiking together in places where cheat thrives - and that's just about everywhere in Central Oregon.

Look in the dog's ears and paws especially. Once cheat gets in, abscesses can follow, and that isn't any fun for your dog, or your pocketbook if you have to take the animal to a veterinarian for treatment.