SAD-Beware of grass awns with your dogs

To anyone who works their dogs frequently in any type of "grass" field - you need to be aware that some of the seeds your dog might ingest (or otherwise take in to their bodies) can carry a bacteria. This bacteria can lead to a nasty infection and oft times death. I just talked to one of my best friends Rick Alexander of the Amo Conv. Bird Dog Club who had to put down his 6 year old GSP this week. I've hunted over Carly on numerous occasions and she was a fantastic bird dog. I'm sad and tore up for Rick and definitely gonna miss the girl. She recently won Runner-up at the Nationals. The vet found she had been infected from a foxtail seed. These are called "grass awns" and they are serious business. Obviously there is not much you can do to prevent this from happening other than noting the type of cover you are working. The main symptoms the dog shows is a high fever (104+) and acting "a few steps off its normal pace." If you see this reaction it is best to head for the vet. Check out the following article for more information:
www.gundogmag.com/health_nutrition/GD_grassawns_0809/index.html