Does Epsom salt work to remove june grass (grass seed) from your dog’s foot? Most vets will tell you that Epsom salt only has a 50% success rate in getting out june grass from your dog’s foot, but using it sure doesn’t help. Learn how you can up your chances in getting your dog’s june grass out of their foot just in using Epsom salts. After all, the only other alternative is expensive surgery- you may as well make the Epsom salt work!
First of all, if your vet says to use Epsom salt every day on your dog’s foot to remove the june grass, they mean every single day. My sister (a former vet assistant) recommends twice a day, morning and night, a good soak in a cup of Epsom salt per 1 gallon hot water. Leave your dog’s foot in about 15 minutes (or at least 5) and don’t let your dog lick at their wound too much after their Epsom salt bath. The Epsom salt can give your dog diarrhea, and you don’t want your dog to lick their open (and oozing) wound closed.
The Epsom salt pushes the june grass out, slowly but surely, so it’s important to keep the june grass wound open. This both relieves pressure on your dog’s foot, but also gets that infection out. Squeezing on the wound using a downward pushing motion gently with your thumb (squeezing the clear fluid in the wound out of the wound) helps to draw out the june grass that the Epsom salt is helping to draw out. Pushing out the fluids in your dog’s wound within 10 minutes of doing an Epsom salt bath is most effective, from personal experience.
Use Epsom salt for a week, or until the june grass comes out. In my case, my dog’s june grass popped out of her foot after an Epsom salt bath on day 5. While there is only a 50% success rate with Epsom salt in removing a june grass from your dog’s foot, if you are diligent with the Epsom salt bath, try to keep your dog’s foot in the bath for 5 minutes or more and can do so twice a day, then you can avoid surgery. It’s a half success shot, but it’s worth it.
note: using a coffee container to soak your dog’s foot allows you to soak your dog’s foot while not having to leave the living room. I used a half cup of Epsom salt and filled the coffee container halfway up to soak my dog’s foot for 15 minutes (her standing in the can, me watching TV), then when I took her foot out simply dabbed it partially dry with a clean towel draped under the can. Super easy this way! Don’t forget to squeeze the fluid out of the wound by pressing down toward the wound exit, gently but firmly, using your thumb.
Sources:
sis who was a vet assistant
personal experience
my dog’s vet