Factors affecting the removal of grass seed foreign bodies in canine patients

Migrating grass seed foreign bodies (GSFBs) commonly cause pathology in canine patients. Anecdotally, antibiotic treatment eliminates the fluid pockets that usually form around GSFBs, complicating identification and retrieval.

Radiology reports tagged with 'soft tissue foreign body' were retrospectively analysed to identify canine patients diagnosed with a GSFB in 2024. Further information was extracted from clinical notes and histories.

A total of 18 canine patients were included in this study, from which 22 GSFBs were retrieved. Patients who received antibiotics prior to referral had longer overall disease durations than patients who did not. Grass seeds were more likely to be removed if they were surrounded by a fluid pocket on ultrasonography. However, no direct link was identified between the recent use of antibiotics and the presence or absence of a fluid pocket on ultrasonography.

This study is limited by its small sample size and retrospective nature.

This study suggests that where a GSFB is suspected but not identified in first-opinion practice, prompt referral for focal ultrasonography will contribute to faster diagnosis and retrieval than symptomatic treatment. Ultrasonography could be used to greater effect for the identification and retrieval of suspected GSFB cases in first-opinion practice.