Grass seeds and other hazards
Laden with grass seeds
Lovely morning run through the forest, long wet grass, dead possum to sniff and roll in but not eat today (just didn’t fancy it).
Bad news was the spiny grass seeds which stick like magnets to dog coats and work their way under our skin. Owner spent half an hour getting the seeds out before I rumbled with another dog and got completely covered again. Other hazards in our park are:
- Snakes (I bark at these and they slither away – some are very dangerous so don’t go near them)
- Mynah birds (who swoop at nesting time and peck my head)
- Cars (the off leash area straddles a 4km circular road)
- Paralysis ticks (they inject a poison into our bloodstream and we die)
As Sydney temperatures increase with global warming, paralysis tick bites are becoming more frequent and more lethal. Paralysis (back legs first) and death follow rapidly unless you race to a vet. Owner treats me for ticks all year round now – as one of my friends died last month from a paralysis tick. Sorry to end on a sad note today.
Ruby the black labrador 
You have some fierce mynahs over there… we have crows that swoop and peck people but not mynahs… their harmless…. although now that I think of it, one did fly from the window into my grandma’s kitchen in an attempt to snatch the chicken pie from my hands (the hands of a small child!!!) when I was a young. Just random chit chat, have a good day!
Random chit chat good…Our mynahs hang out with magpies, almost as wingmen. They are pests in Australia, make a huge amount of noise and are horribly territorial. Give me a kookaburra any day.
Haha I remember seeing some white birds in Sydney (not seagulls) and we ask what birds they were and the people told us they are pests. Tourists are easily amused by pests, I took a number of pictures of them 😛 But I hope you encounter more kookaburras than mynahs ; )
They might have been ibis – long legged. long beaked things. Sacred to ancient egyptians but hated as they are scavengers (much like Ruby).
Luckily we don’t have mynahs on our property…we do have Maggies the size of turkeys though! they have never swooped luckily..as for grass seeds..Doc had a huge operation due to a grass seed..the pics are somewhere on my blog..nasty little mongrel! (Seed not Doc) and we don’t have ticks where we are thankgoodness…but eastern browns we do ..in abundance! 🙂
Golly – poor Doc. We see a few snakes and we’re almost inner city but I’m not sure any of them are particularly deadly.
Yuk!! they are not exactly cuddly hehehe ..yep poor old Doc was not a happy camper 🙂
A particular magpie at St Ives has a death wish…. Sits out on the middle of an agility course.
Dogs enjoy the additional challenge. Owners less impressed.
Glad to hear there are bird hazards on the north shore too. They are so territorial!
No wonder Ruby lives her life to the fullest, it sounds like there are many dangers that can end a life too quickly.
Yes – think carpe diem is her mantra,
Oh, there are so many hazards for the furry kids out there for sure and I do hate those ticks. Here in South Africa there’s a little weed on the grass that sticks under Simba’s feet all the time and I have to cut it off as it’s sticky as well and it itches, but it have the most beautiful little yellow flowers. For ticks and fleas I only use Frontline but when we go for walks I always check him thoroughly for things like that when we get home. I’ve worked for a vet and have seen what tick fever can do to furry kids. Here we also have birds like the Mynahs but they are called Plovers and can be quite cheeky too when you come too close to their nests. Simba loves chasing them. Cars are very dangerous and sometimes tourists and even people that live here think our quiet roads are for racing. So silly of them. Lovely post once again and I am glad your mommy takes to good care of you Ruby. Have a wonderful day. 😀 *big hugs*
Thank you for your kind words and information. It’s so interesting seeing how dogs are cared for in different countries. We use frontline too – every month though – it’s expensive here too – plus another tablet for heartworm and another one for other intestinal worms. No problem administering to Ruby – she just gobbles them all down!
You are very welcome hon and yes, it’s is heart-warming indeed to see so many people who really cares about their furry kids. Yes, the Frontline is just as expensive here but worth it. Simba also have nooooo problem with his pills as well. His favourites are his tissue salts. 😀
Evil grass seeds, Dottie got one in her nose last year that luckily we were able to get out by holding her down and using tweezers, I’d hate to think about what would have happened if it made it to her lungs… eek!
Funny something so innocuous can be such a threat – wonder how wild animals cope.
That certainly sounds like a terribly dangerous place to play! Stay safe!
Yes Australia has many dangerous plants and animals!