Dog owners have been warned to watch their pets in the garden after a Staffordshire bull terrier which was taken to the vets with a face so swollen they mistook her for a Shar Pei is back to her normal size following treatment.

Mya was rushed to an animal hospital after her face dramatically ballooned to almost twice its size due to a reaction from a stray gas seed.

Veterinary staff were left scratching their heads when it came to identifying Mya after the extreme swelling left her looking like a different breed entirely.

The seven-year-old dog had lost her characteristic Staffy snout and gained a chubby face with deep wrinkles more like a Shar Pei.

The poor pooch was suffering with low thyroid levels and an abscess caused by the grass awn – which are sharp bristles that grow from grasses and meadow plants,.

Dog owners have been warned of the startling effects grass awns can have on pets

Mya’s face had swollen that much that she looked a different breed baffling vets

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was mistaken for a Shar Pei when she was treated by vets for an abscess

Vets at Southfields Veterinary Specialists treated Mya with thyroid hormone supplementation before removing the awn once she felt better.

What Are Grass Awns? 

A grass awn is the seed pod of certain tall grasses that grow as invasive weeds.

Common examples include foxtail and cheatgrass.

Each plant can produce thousands of seeds. These grasses can be found throughout North America especially in the Western United States.

Weedy grasses form seed pods which dry out and then scatter in the summer.

Many seed pods have tiny barbs which let them easily attach to animals and objects.

When a dog moves through tall grass, seed pods can easily attach to its body.

Grass awns are sometimes called ‘mean seeds’ because of the harm they can cause to dogs.

She is now back home with her owner after making a full recovery at the Linnaeus-owned animal hospital, based in Basildon, Essex.

Mya’s owner Karine Foster, from Essex, said she first noticed something was wrong when Mya stopped eating and drinking.

She said: ‘Mya became very unwell, very quickly. She was lethargic and had stopped eating and drinking.

‘Tests at Southfields confirmed Mya had thyroid problems and a grass awn was actually causing the abscess.

‘The good news is Mya is completely back to her old self following surgery to remove the grass awn and medication to treat her low thyroid levels.

‘Southfields were amazing from the very first visit and we had regular updates from them during and after her procedure.’

Vets said they were left stumped when they first examined Mya and believed she was a Shar Pei.

Her extreme facial swelling was caused by thyroid condition mixedema and amplified by the abscess caused by the grass awn.

Aldara Eiras-Diaz, internal medicine consultant, and Raquel del Solar, internal medicine resident, both took charge of Mya’s care.

Aldara said: ‘It’s difficult to remember such an extreme case of swelling than that of Mya.

Thankfully after vets diagnosed the problem they were able to save her characteristic staffy snout

Mya was suffering with low thyroid levels and an abscess caused by a strass grass awn – but has made a full recovery

‘When she came to Southfields she had swelling of the face and extremities, as well as swelling in the lower part of the neck.

‘Her underactive thyroid was causing a condition called mixedema, which causes swelling of the skin and underlying tissues.

‘Mya was quickly started on thyroid hormone supplementation which worked incredibly well and the swelling in her face and legs reduced significantly.

‘The grass awn was then removed when she was feeling better.

‘It’s great to see that Mya is feeling like her old self again and is once again looking like a Staffordshire bull terrier.’