If you have a garden of deciduous trees around your home, your dog will likely eat burrs. This is a natural behavior and that is why pet welfare specialists recommend chewing toys for dogs. Burrs are the small, spiky seed pods of plants such as barberry, burdock, and cocklebur. Burrs contain a lot of tiny, sharp spines that can cause irritation and damage to your dog’s gastrointestinal tract.
Burrs are a serious threat to dog’s health. Burrs are typically not poisonous to dogs, they do not contain any toxins that can cause serious harm to your dog. However, burrs can pose a choking hazard if they get lodged in your dog’s throat, causing pains and inflammation, leading to death if not treated promptly
When a dog roams around in a garden, a burr attaches itself to its fur, like the bottom of the tail or around the ears. By chance, if a dog swallows a burr, the hook or spine can get caught in the throat or intestines causing discomfort and other gastrointestinal problems. Let’s discuss how to treat your dog when it eats burrs and how to subsequently prevent your dog from eating burrs.
What Happens When a Dog Eats a Burr
When dogs eat burrs, they can experience some serious digestive issues.
If your dog eats a few burrs, particularly small-sized burrs, it may experience some minor gastrointestinal distress that may not cause any harm. However, if the burr is large in size, the dog could end up with a blockage in its intestines or severe inflammation in its stomach or intestines. This can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even death if it isn’t treated quickly.
Signs That Your Dog Has Eaten Burrs
If you’re walking your dog and notice that it’s acting a little strange, it might be because it ate burrs. Check for the following symptoms if you think your dog has eaten a burr:
- Your dog is scratching its skin intensely
- Your dog is acting lethargic (or even limp)
- Your dog is vomiting
- Your dog is drooling more than usual
- Your dog has troubled or labored breathing
- You notice small pieces of green or brown material in his poop
- Bloody poop is also a sign of intestinal inflammation
What To Do If Your Dog Eats a Burr
Now that you are sure that your dog has eaten burr, you need to make sure the dog is calm and carry these suggested home remedies before taking tit o the vet.
- Restrict and restrain the dog from walking around to conserve its energy.
- Use your hand to groom and massage the dog’s throat, this will calm the dog and help to dislodge the burrs
- Offer the dog water, this can help soften the burr and dislodge it to a less destructive position
- Give the dog milk of magnesia (a white liquid chalk) or hydrogen peroxide (a clear liquid) to induce vomiting
- When your dog is stable, give it antistress to regain strength and vigor
- Now, it’s time to take the dog to the veterinarian for proper examination and prescription treatment.
How To Prevent Dogs From Eating Burrs
If you have a lot of tree plants in your home, you can prevent your dog and other pets alike from the potential harms of them eating burrs by:
- Regular brushing of your dog’s fur after walks is a great way to remove burrs and prevent the dog from eating the burr. Use oil sprays to make your dog’s burr removal easier. Vegetable oil is safer than other body oils.
- Keep your yard clean of burrs. You can do this by cutting the grass regularly or raking up any leaves or branches that might contain burrs.
- If you have a dog who loves to spend time outside, consider using a leash to restrain its movement. This will keep the dog close enough to you that if they start eating something dangerous, you can stop them before any damage is done.
Lastly, burrs are not poisonous but can cause lots of pain and stress to dogs when not carefully managed. You need to look out for your dogs and be wary of their movement especially outdoors. If you have trees with burrs in your compound, ensure you clean out debris, leaves, and fallen branches that may have burrs to prevent your dog from coming in contact with the burrs.
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