Dangers of grass seeds for cats

As summertime approaches, lots of our feline friends are likely to spend extra time outdoors, wandering through long grass and enjoying the sunshine. But did you know there’s something lurking in the grass that could affect your cat?

Although they’re more commonly seen in dogs, grass seed injuries are a risk for cats, too – especially through the spring and summer months. Explore the ways your cat might end up with a grass seed injury, the symptoms to look out for, and how to prevent grass seed injuries…

What are grass seeds?

The sharp, small, arrow-shaped grass seed is found on many different types of grasses that can grow in fields, gardens, and parks as they dry out and scatter seeds. Usually present during the late spring and early summer months, grass seeds are easily dislodged from long grass to attach themselves to your cat’s coat as they brush past. Cats who eat grass could also swallow grass seeds.

How do grass seeds affect cats?

Unfortunately, because grass seeds have sharp barbs, they hook onto your cat’s coat – then, with their pointy, arrow-shaped ends, can work their way into different parts of the body. Once a grass seed manages to become lodged somewhere within a cat’s body, they’re able to cause irritation, pain, and infection.

There are several different ways for a grass seed to cause an injury to your cat, including:

• Travelling into airways via the mouth or nose.
• Becoming trapped under eyelids.
• Sticking to the hair around their ears.
• Getting stuck between their toes.
• Burrowing into the skin wherever they make contact with it.

Symptoms of grass seed injuries in cats

Any symptoms your cat might display if they suffer from a grass seed injury will depend on the location of the grass seed within their body. For example, here are some of the signs to look out for if a grass seed injury occurs in your cat’s…

Ear:

• Scratching or pawing at their ear.
• Shaking their head.
• Holding their head to one side.

Eye:

• Pawing at their eye (sometimes frantically).
• Redness and watering.
• Partially or fully closed eye.

Nose:

• Sneezing (sometimes intensely).
• Rubbing their face or pawing at their nose.
• Discharge (which could be bloody, yellow, or green).

Mouth and throat:

• Coughing.
• Drooling.
• Gagging or retching.

Paw:

• Limping. 
• Constant licking of their paw.
• Swelling or lump.

Skin:

• Swelling and/or redness.
• Chewing or scratching at a specific spot.
• Sores or an abscess.

If left untreated, a grass seed injury might lead to symptoms such as:

• Becoming extremely quiet or very restless. 
• Loss of appetite.
• Breathing difficulties.
• Head tilting and/or loss of balance.
• Collapse.

Important: Please contact your vet immediately if you suspect your cat is suffering from a grass seed injury.

Treating grass seed injuries in cats

To treat your cat’s grass seed injury, a vet needs to remove the grass seed as quickly as possible. First, the vet will have to find out exactly where the grass seed is located, which could mean your cat requires pain relief and either sedation or general anaesthetic. 

Once your cat is comfortable (or asleep, if under general anaesthetic), your vet can use special equipment, like an otoscope or endoscope, to locate the grass seed for removal. Both otoscopes and endoscopes are pieces of veterinary equipment that might be used in the diagnosis and treatment of a grass seed injury. An otoscope allows a vet to see the inside of your cat’s ear, whereas an endoscope enables them to view the digestive or respiratory tract and remove a grass seed.

After your vet has removed the grass seed, they’ll treat your cat’s symptoms accordingly, e.g. by giving anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling or antibiotics to treat an infection.

Preventing grass seed injuries in cats

While it’s challenging to monitor all the places our cats could visit while they’re adventuring outdoors, there are steps you can take to try to prevent grass seed injuries:

• As part of their daily grooming routine, check your cat’s coat thoroughly whenever they return home after spending time outside.
• If your cat has a longer coat, carefully trim any feathery hairs around their ears, eyes, and paws to stop grass seeds from attaching to them.
• Try to keep your cat indoors if you notice local long grasses have dried out and are scattering seeds.

For further advice and support to help your cat avoid a grass seed injury this summer, you can chat to the vet experts over at Joii Pet Care.