SPRINGWATCH presenter Chris Packham has warned dog owners of the dangers of grass seeds as more people rewild their gardens.
The renowned conservationist says his black poodles Sid and Nancy were enjoying a run through his wildflower gardens and the surrounding New Forest national park in Hampshire.
But he soon had to take Nancy to the vets in Hythe with a blinking and weeping eye. She had a “nasty grass seed” hidden behind her eyelid which caused “a good deal of irritation and pain’.
Vet Miroslava Palenikova, known as Mirka, said: “It all ended well because we were able to remove it quickly without anaesthetic and without any long-term damage, and Nancy went home happy.”
But not long after, Mirka was surprised to see Nancy brought in again, and this time her other eye was similarly affected.
Now Nancy wears fetching goggles whenever she runs free.
TV favourite Chris, 63, said: “Dogs might read the world through their noses in ways we can’t but their eyesight is a sense they can’t afford to lose.
“As custodians of our canine friends, we should never be complacent about eye injuries.”
But he added: “We have a duty to help wildlife survive, so wild grasses and flowers should be common features of our gardens.”
Mirka, of Seadown Veterinary Services, urged owners to check their dogs after every walk for signs of conjunctivitis and foreign bodies in their eyes, paws, ears and coat.