What to Do If Your Dog or Cat Gets a Cheatgrass Awn Stuck in Their Paw, Ear, or Nose

That tiny, straw-colored spike your pet just trotted through on the trail is one of Central Oregon’s sneakiest seasonal hazards. Cheatgrass awns, the barbed seed structures that carpet fields and roadsides throughout Bend and the surrounding high desert every summer, are built by nature to burrow. Their backward-facing barbs make forward movement easy and removal difficult, meaning an awn that finds its way between your dog’s toes or into your cat’s ear isn’t going anywhere on its own.

At Pawtown Veterinary Care, we see cheatgrass injuries every season, and we want you to feel prepared before you find yourself mid-hike, wondering what to do. Our team offers urgent care services for exactly these situations, so help is always close when your pet needs it.

Why Cheatgrass Awns Are So Dangerous

The shape of a cheatgrass awn is the entire problem. Each seed head is tipped with a sharp point and lined with microscopic barbs that allow it to move in only one direction: forward. Research published in Veterinary Medicine International confirms that grass awns can harbor bacteria and fungi, contributing to serious infections as they migrate through soft tissue. Left untreated, an awn that starts between your dog’s toes can travel up the leg, and one that enters the nose can reach the sinuses.

Cats are not immune. Though cats are often fastidious groomers and may remove surface-level awns themselves, they are just as vulnerable to embedded seeds, particularly in the paws and ears.

Signs Your Pet Has a Cheatgrass Awn

Knowing what to watch for after an outdoor walk can make the difference between a simple clinic visit and a more involved procedure. Different entry points produce different symptoms, and all of them warrant a closer look.

Here are the most common signs by location:

• Paw: Persistent licking or chewing at the foot, swelling between the toes, a small lump, or a draining wound
• Ear: Sudden, frantic head shaking, tilting the head to one side, pawing at the ear, or crying when the ear is touched
• Nose: Rapid, repeated sneezing that comes on suddenly, sometimes accompanied by a small amount of blood from one nostril

These signs can appear quickly after exposure, sometimes within hours. It is important to act the same day rather than waiting to see if symptoms resolve on their own.

What You Can Do at Home

If you spot an awn sitting in your pet’s fur, nowhere near the skin, you can usually remove it by hand or with fine tweezers and then rinse the area gently with clean water. That is the limit of safe at-home care. Once an awn has broken the skin or lodged in a sensitive area, attempting to remove it yourself risks driving it deeper or breaking it apart, making veterinary removal far more complicated.

Never attempt to remove an awn from your pet’s ear, nose, or eye at home. These areas require professional tools and, in many cases, sedation to address safely. If your dog has been on a trail and is now shaking their head non-stop or sneezing violently, the right move is a same-day vet visit. Taking a few minutes to check your pet’s paws, ears, and belly after every outdoor outing is one of the best habits Central Oregon pet owners can build. For more tips on keeping your dog safe in our region’s terrain, our blog on hiking safety for dogs in Central Oregon is a helpful read.

When to Come In and What to Expect

Any awn that has entered the skin or a body opening needs to be treated by a veterinarian. During the appointment, your vet will examine the affected area and, depending on its depth and location, may need to sedate your pet to safely retrieve the awn. Antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent or address infection, particularly when the awn has been present for more than a day. For paw injuries, we may also evaluate the surrounding tissue for damage to ensure nothing has been overlooked.

Recovery time depends on how far the awn traveled and whether infection developed. A paw awn caught early may resolve within a week, while a deeper migration or secondary abscess can take longer. Scheduling a comprehensive wellness exam after treatment can help confirm full healing and catch any secondary concerns. 

Trust Pawtown Veterinary Care With Your Pet’s Cheatgrass Concerns

At Pawtown Veterinary Care, we are a locally owned small animal practice founded by Dr. Erin Miller and Dr. Lauren Stayer right here in Bend. We care for dogs and cats exclusively, which means every member of our team is focused entirely on the animals and families we know best. We offer financing through CareCredit and Scratch Pay to help make unexpected visits more manageable, so cost does not have to stand between your pet and the care they need.

If you noticed your dog shaking their head after today’s walk, or your cat has been fixated on a paw since your afternoon outing, don’t wait. Cheatgrass injuries are far easier to treat when caught early. Contact Pawtown Veterinary Care to schedule your appointment today.