Awns are stiff, sharp bristles that grow on grasses such as cereals (including rye, wheat, and barley) and various meadow plants.1, 2, 3, 4 They have many small, backward-pointing barbs that the awns use to attach themselves to the ground the dog’s fur and which only allow movement in one direction – inwards, towards the animal’s body. After anchoring themselves in the coat, the awns work their way deeper into the coat with every movement of the dog. With their sharp points, the awns can pierce the animal’s skin and lodge where they can cause infection, inflammation, and abscesses. These foreign objects can also enter your dog’s body through openings such as the nose, mouth and ears and cause internal injuries. For example, they can travel through the gastrointestinal tract or airways, causing life-threatening damage.5 They can make their way to an internal organ—for example, enter the nose and travel down the trachea—and eventually collapse the lung lead.6 In the most extreme cases, this can be fatal.7
