Cheatgrass

Late summer is a time for cheat grass and foxtail. These grasses are clumpy and whispy. They produce seeds that are shaped like miniature porcupine quills. The seed pods can work their way into nostrils, throats, and even hides (between the toes, for example). The seeds work their way into lungs, abdomen, intestines and can cause severe illness and death.



What should I look for?

Growth Characteristics: A weedy annual grass, 2 inches to 2 feet tall. Has a branched base and is typically rusty-red to purple at maturity. Seeds germinate in the late fall or early spring. Has rapid spring growth, with seeds maturing within 2 months of beginning growth. Reproduces from seeds. An aggressive weed.

Seedhead:Open, drooping, much branched panicle; spikelets contain 5 to 8 florets; glumes and lemmas pubescent or downy; lemmas narrow with awns 5/8 inch long or longer.

Leaves: Pubescent blades and sheaths; blades flat, 1/8 inch to ¼ inch wide; leaves rolled in the bud; ligules 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, membranous, rounded to collar shaped, with long pointed teeth; auricles absent.

http://extension.usu.edu/range/Grasses/cheatgrass.htm

Where is it?

Cheat grass has been identified in Georgia in Carrol county, Bartow, Pike, and Harris on the western side, and in Habersham, Elbert, and Oconee on the north-eastern side. (J.L. Lester WMA is in Polk County, which is just below and to the west of Bartow. Bartow is the green-colored county in the northwest portiono of the map. The green-colored county to the south is Carrol County.)

www.plants.usda.gov



Is this a sub-urban legend?

No.

What should I do?

• Inspect your dog daily for hair mats (where Cheatgrass likes to hide) and between toes.
• Clip the hair between paw pads in dogs to reduce the potential for picking up awns.
• Keep an eye out for excessive sneezing, drooling, head-shaking, ear-scratging ears, whining, licking at their paw or other body part excessively. Have the pet checked by your veterinarian as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
• After a run, do a "tailgate check." Looks for cuts and scratches generally. Check for grass awns in or around the eyes, ears and mouth, between the toes, etc.
  
• An imbedded grass awn left unattended can cause life-threatening complications.

(vetmedicine.about.com)

Resources:
GunDogDoc's Awn Case