Eco-obsessed councils are being blamed for a surge in the number of dogs having to be taken to the vets with nasty grass seed infections.

Pet owners across the country told the Daily Mail they are facing huge bills because their dogs are getting foxtail seeds lodged in their ears and skin after bounding through overgrown grass.

Green initiatives such as No Mow May – an annual campaign promoted by woke councils – have left grass growing to knee-high levels in parks and on road verges.

Many councils have now extended the eco-driven initiative long into the summer and, coupled with the bone-dry conditions caused by the heatwave, this has led to foxtail seeds falling off their stalks earlier and becoming embedded into animals as they brush past them.

The sharp seeds can burrow deep into the skin of pets, with breeds such as sheepdogs, setters and spaniels particularly at risk due to their long or curly fur and large ears.

Usually the damage is limited to abscesses, irritation or abrasions, but if they are inhaled or fall into an ear canal they can cause serious infections.

Vets say they have been inundated with owners bringing their poorly dogs in for grass seed removals.

Vets found two foxtail seeds in Ivy's ears and a suspected third that had migrated through her lung

A receipt shows the £1,1389 bill Jon Pratt was left with at the vets. He has spent nearly £2,000 in total on helping Ivy recover

Pictured is a grass seed that was removed from the ear of a dog, costing the owner £770 in vet bills

Siobhan Lawrence-Browne told the Daily Mail how her Cavalier (pictured) was in so much pain in the middle of the night they had to call an emergency vet. £600 later - and a trip 40 minutes away - a grass seed was removed from his ear (right)

A grass seed insurance claim can cost almost £600 but can rise to more than £10,000 in serious cases, according to Agria, the Royal Kennel Club’s insurance provider.

Councils are being accused of allowing long grass to grow because of environmental initiatives and cost-cutting.

Siobhan Lawrence-Browne told the Daily Mail how her Cavalier was in so much pain in the middle of the night they had to call an emergency vet.

Some £600 later - and a trip 40 minutes away - a grass seed was removed from his ear. It happened after a walk on the common near their home in Surrey.

Julian Hoad, senior vice-president of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, told the Daily Mail: 'Reduced mowing of roadside verges and green spaces, together with initiatives designed to encourage biodiversity through longer grass growth, may inadvertently increase the risk of dogs encountering mature grass seeds.

'Whilst these measures can have significant environmental benefits, they can also lead to an increase in grass-seed injuries during the summer months.

'The seeds, or awns, are barbed and can get caught in the hair: they are particularly prone to embedding between digits, in ears and around the eyes.

'At best, the awns can be troublesome, causing pain and irritation. At worst, they can migrate to deeper tissues, including the abdomen and thorax, and potentially cause life-threatening abscesses.'

Pet owners have told how their dogs are returning from walks in agony and shaking their heads as if they are 'deranged'.

Former police officer Jo Keeling racked up a £400 bill after her Cockapoo, Teddy, had just two grass seeds lodged in his ear after a walk around her neighbourhood in Bournemouth. She said the grass verges hadn't been cut all year.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) Council has declared a climate emergency and pledged to go carbon neutral by 2040.

But Jo believes the Lib Dem-run local authority is also using the green agenda to save costs.

She said: 'Last year No Mow May went on well into the summer and this year it feels like it has been even longer. A lot of local residents don't want their roads looking scruffy and unkempt.

'I took my dog out for a walk and when we came back home he started shaking his head like he was deranged.

'It carried on so I phoned the vet who told me to bring him in and they told me he had two grass seeds in his ear.

'He was sedated so the seeds could be taken out. It cost £400 but I have pet insurance and so just had to pay the excess.

'The vet told me that they couldn't believe the number of these cases they were seeing this summer and said it was ridiculous.

'They said this year has been the worst because of the heat making the seeds fall off the stalks really easily because it is so dry. I am calling it out as cost cutting.

'BCP Council have declared a climate emergency and bang on about biodiversity but I think that is just a good excuse not to spend money on basic things like cutting the grass.

'When I took Teddy out the grass was well over 30cm tall and clearly hadn't been cut for ages.'

Pet owner Ian Farmer had to take his dog to the vets to have 28 grass seeds removed from various parts of his body.

He blamed the local council for failing to cut the grass.

He said: 'Every year since the council have stopped cutting the grass we are having grass seeds removed.

Former police officer Jo Keeling racked up a £400 bill after her Cockapoo Teddy had just two grass seeds lodged in his ear after a walk around her neighbourhood in Bournemouth

Twenty-month-old springer spaniel Ivy was left in serious pain after foxtail seeds were lodged in her skin

Ivy is used to going out on the farm every day but is recovering from her injuries

Ivy sits in the vet to get the grass seeds removed. A huge abscess can be seen in the image on the right

'The vet told me they had a dog in last week and they removed 52 grass seeds.

'I would like to get up a petition to take to the BCP Council to try and get them to start cutting the grass again in public areas.'

Jon Pratt, whose family have run Church Farm in Totternhoe, south Bedfordshire, for nearly 300 years, has spent nearly £2,000 on vet bills for his 20-month-old springer spaniel, Ivy.

Earlier this month, vets discovered two foxtail seeds in Ivy's ear, while it is suspected she inhaled a third which migrated through her lungs.

Mr Pratt, a beef cattle and arable farmer, told the Daily Mail: 'They were causing her terrible discomfort. She was wandering around with her head tilted towards the ground all the time and shaking her head aggressively.

'She kept dipping her head.'

Mr Pratt said Ivy appears to have recovered quite well when a grass seed was found deep in her ear earlier this month. But two days later, she appeared in huge discomfort again and they found another seed lodged in the same ear.

The 51-year-old added: 'She seemed under the weather the whole time. I suspected it was due to her ears and we gave her antibiotics... but she still seemed to get worse.

'Then she started to swell in her chest. And we discovered there was an abscess which had to be drained.

'It was suspected that she had inhaled the grass seed and it had gone through the lung and through the lung wall  and out the side and created an abscess.'

He added: 'The operation cost me £1,400. But I've had a visit to the hospital out of hours which was around £360 and the visit for the ears originally was £185 so we're knocking on the door for £2,000.

Mr Pratt, who bought Ivy for £850 in February last year, said grass seed infections were 'terribly rife' at the moment and that spaniels seem to be the 'worst breed for it.'

'The vets I use say they are dealing with grass seeds every day. It's a big problem for them. They have to sedate dogs to get the seeds out of their ears.'

'She's been with me every day since she's been ten weeks old. She comes with me every day on the combine and the tractors and in the truck. She's by my side every day and I noticed her going downhill. So for the first time since I've had her, we weren't together for two or three days.

'She didn't like being left behind either.'

Farmer Jon Pratt is pictured with Ivy. He noticed her struggling with grass seed injuries earlier this month

The so-called No Mow May initiative  is being blamed for the alarming rise in dogs being brought in for surgeries to remove grass seeds. Pictured: Uncut grass in Dorset

Mr Pratt is used to having long crops on his farm, but he says it is an 'issue' that public areas such as parks are letting the grass grow long.

'If we had a wet summer, it probably wouldn't be as bad. I think it's because we're having these long, dry summers.  The grass goes to seed a lot quicker because it's under stress so there's more about.

Karen Taylor told the Mail she spent £500 in having a foxtail removed from behind her dog's eyeball. 'All because our council decided to do No Mow May!'

Nicki Lucas, who lives in neighbouring Hampshire, said she had spent more than £1,500 on vet bills in the past few weeks because of overgrown grass either side of public paths.

In Rainham, Kent, several dog owners have complained of astronomical vet bills due to a surge in grass seeds cases.

Kayleigh Burnett said her cockapoo Ernie was covered in grass seed after frequently visiting Cozenton Park on her lunch break.

She said vets found four in his ears, ten in between his toes and in his skin and another three under his armpit.

Ms Burnett told KentOnline: 'They get absolutely everywhere, it's awful. My vet bill was £270, luckily I do have insurance.

'I'm trying to be more wary and stick to pavement, but he only really goes to the toilet on the grass. So it's been difficult. Something needs to be done.'

Jackie Stead said she's been forced to stop taking her two spaniels to the park.

'My dog's already had one in the ear from the grass verges, the council haven't cut anywhere along the roads.

'I've spent £442 this year because of grass seed.'

Dog owner Mike Ward said he is paying 'astronomical' vet fees for his ten-month-old cocker spaniel who keeps getting grass seeds stuck in the paws. He said it was 'unbelievable' that Medway Council would think leaving grass seeds would promote diversity.

In Brighton, Ian Carter was left with a bill of almost £500 after his cockapoo fell victim to a foxtail seed and had to have emergency surgery.

And social media groups are awash with dog owners warning each other of foxtail seeds.

One user said: 'Woking council need to cut the foxtail grass seeds at Goldsworth Park asap, I don’t know why they let it get so long. Today my dog came back with 4 in her fur and she was on the lead most the time avoiding them. They are very problematic for dogs causing them injuries and owners lots of money in vet fees!'

Another, Michael Headley, said: 'Dog owners beware. We have raised concerns with the council about the lack of grass cutting, as many areas are now heavily overgrown with long grass and weeds.

'Dog owners should be particularly careful: foxtail grasses are now growing widely, and their dried seedheads can cause serious injury to dogs.'

Foxtails are a number of invasive wild grass and cereal species that produce clumps of barbed seeds. They are not dangerous when they are fresh and green, but they can cause serious damage after they have dried out.

North East Derbyshire District Council, Warwick District Council, Bracknell Forest Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council and Melksham Town Council are among those backing Plantlife's No Mow May initiatives.

Green Party branches including Liverpool and Tonbridge and Malling have actively backed the campaign which is in its eighth year.

Plantlife hopes the no mow movement will continue through June and July in future years. But with hotter and drier summers, pet owners fear grass seed injuries will only get worse.

Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux, of the British Veterinary Association, said: 'Grass seeds or foxtails are sharp parts of certain grasses and cereal crops that can penetrate a dog's skin or enter body cavities, where they act as a foreign body and cause tissue damage and infection.

'Vets see cases in dogs more in the summer, when the awns are ripe, and they are usually associated with the types of grasses or plants grown on farmland.

'Our advice to pet owners is to avoid walking or letting dogs run through fields of ripe long grass or cereal crops and to check their paws, ears and fur after a walk to remove any stuck awns.'

BCP Council said they were 'sorry' to hear of dogs being injured but they were attempting to 'strike a balanced approach that benefits both residents and nature'.

Cllr Andy Hadley, BCP Council Cabinet Member for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said: 'I am sorry to hear that dogs have been injured while being walked, and wish them a full and speedy recovery.

'Grass verges across the BCP area, including Fern Barrow in Talbot Village, are cut three times a year, with scheduled cuts taking place between April and June, July and September, and October and December.

'We declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019 and, as part of our response, introduced changes to the management of some green spaces and verges across BCP, as many other Councils have.

'The longer grass, and seed is really beneficial to some wild birds.

'If areas are left longer between mowing, wild flowers also get a chance to set seed and spread.

'Allowing selected areas to grow to maturity helps support wildlife and increase biodiversity, while we continue to maintain spaces that are safe and accessible for leisure and dog walking.

'We aim to strike a balanced approach that benefits both residents and nature, while making the best use of available resources.'