How to Get Burrs Out of Dog Fur, and When a Foxtail Needs a Vet

By the Nilosi Pets team · Updated October 10, 2026 · 10 min read

Short answer

Pick off loose burrs by hand. For stuck ones, pinch the hair between burr and skin so the skin isn’t pulled, tease the strands free with a drop of cooking oil, then comb out the rest instead of cutting. A foxtail in the skin, ear, eye or nose, or a painful burr between the toes, needs a veterinarian.

Burrs vs foxtails: a nuisance vs a veterinary risk

A burr is a seed pod covered in tiny hooks that grab hair; the AKC’s guide to removing burrs compares the grip to very strong Velcro. Burdock and cocklebur leave large, hooked burrs, sandburs are small and sharp enough to hurt paws, and stick-tights are small, flat seeds that cling by the dozen. Burrs mostly stay in the coat, where they knot the hair, and their sharp tips can make small cuts that irritate the skin and may become infected.

A foxtail is the seed head of certain grasses, such as wild barley. Its hard, arrow-shaped seeds are built to travel one way once they catch: forward and deeper. The AKC’s foxtail overview says these grasses cluster in fields, pastures and along roadways across North America, most commonly in southwestern states such as California, and are most dangerous from May to December, when the seeds dry and harden.

Feature	Burr	Foxtail
What it is	A seed pod covered in hooks	A grass seed head with sharp tips
How it holds	Hooks grab the hair	Arrow-shaped seeds work forward
Main risk	Tangles, mats, sore skin	Burrowing into skin, ears, eyes, nose
Home removal	Usually, if it is in the coat	Only if it rests loose on the surface

Safety note

If a foxtail points into the skin, sits inside an ear, or you can see only part of it, leave it alone and call your veterinarian. The AKC advises removing one only when it is clearly visible and resting on the surface, because tugging at a partly embedded seed can push it deeper.

Where burrs hide: check the whole dog first

A nose-to-tail check before you pull anything tells you whether this is a ten-minute job or a groomer visit, and which sore spots to clear first. Feel as well as look, in good light: a burr buried in a thick coat is easier to feel than to see.

Ears: the outer flaps, the fur around the ear opening and any long feathering.
Face and neck: the muzzle, beard and eyebrows, and under the collar or harness.
Armpits, chest, belly and groin: where the body sweeps through tall grass.
Tail, rear end and backs of the thighs: feathering catches burrs from behind.
Paws: spread each foot and check between the toes, between the pads and on top.

The AKC guide flags the rear end, armpits, tail, ear flaps and toes as the worst spots, since dogs dislike being touched there. Burrs are less of a problem on short coats, such as a Beagle’s or a Boxer’s, but check the toes and ears on any dog.

How to get burrs out of dog fur, step by step

Most burrs in the coat come out at home with patience and your fingers. Work on a dry coat: VCA Animal Hospitals advises brushing burrs and tangles out before a bath, because tangles can become impossible to remove afterward.

What you need

A wide-toothed metal comb (we don’t sell combs; any sturdy one works)
Cooking oil or cooking spray, or a detangler made for dogs
Pliers for large, hard burrs, and gloves to protect your hands from spines
A slicker brush for the finishing pass
Treats or a lick mat, and a helper if you can get one
A bag for the burrs, so they end up in the trash rather than the rug

The AKC guide favors cooking spray over chemical products because your dog will lick the spot once the burr is out, and a little canola oil is the better thing to swallow. Leave essential oils out of it: the ASPCA advises against applying them directly to pets.

Set up somewhere easy to clean. Lay a towel down in good light, let your dog stand or lie on their side, and have a helper offer treats or a filled lick mat.
Take off the easy ones first. Many burrs sit on the tips of the hair. Pinch them, lift them off and drop them in the bag, leaving the tangled ones for later.
Hold the hair between the burr and the skin. Pinch it close to the skin so your fingers take any pull instead of your dog. Keep this grip for every step that follows.
Crush any large, hard burr. Squeeze it with pliers, well clear of the skin, so it breaks into smaller pieces you can pick out one at a time, as the AKC suggests.
Tease the hair away from the burr. Starting at its outer edge, peel a few strands at a time off the hooks, pulling them out to the side rather than up.
Add oil if it clings. Work a few drops of cooking oil or dog detangler into the hair around the burr with your fingertips, give it a minute, then keep teasing.
Comb out what is left. With the wide-toothed comb, work small sections from the tips toward your fingers, getting a little closer to the skin with each pass.
Finish with a slicker. Brush the area with light, short strokes to lift out loosened hair and seed fragments, then run your fingers to the skin for any you missed.
Check the skin and reward. Look for red spots or scratches where burrs sat, give a treat, and wash out any oil with a dog shampoo once every burr is gone.

Tip

Save the brush for the end. A slicker dragged through a coat still full of burrs snags them and packs them into the pins, which pulls harder and spreads the mess.

Mistakes to avoid

Scissors near the skin. Skin tents up into a tangle and is easy to nick. The AKC’s advice is to cut only when you can see light between the skin and the part you are cutting; otherwise, use clippers or see a groomer.
Pulling the burr straight off. Yanking drags the skin with it and teaches your dog to dread the next session.
Bathing first. Water tightens the tangles around a burr. Burrs out, then the bath.
Household solvents. Spray lubricants, paint thinner and nail polish remover can irritate the skin and make your dog sick if licked off. Cooking oil does the job.
Leaving them until tomorrow. Burrs knot more hair as your dog walks, scratches and lies on them, and the AKC warns that burrs left in the coat can cause irritation, pain and infection.

Two products from our own catalog help with the finish and with a fidgety dog. Our picks are limited to what Nilosi carries, and neither replaces a comb and patience. See all our dog and cat grooming tools.

Sakabase

Curved Slicker Brush, View product

$39.95

Why it fits: A finishing brush once the burrs are out; its curved head and fine, firm pins lift loosened tangles from medium and long coats.
SodaPup

Jigsaw Enrichment Lick Mat for Dogs & Cats, Choose color

$25.95

Why it fits: Keeps your dog busy while you work on the coat; spread it with xylitol-free peanut butter or wet food for a slow licking job.

Burrs knotted into mats

A burr left in the coat for a day or two collects hair every time your dog moves, and on a long or curly coat it soon sits at the center of a mat. Treat it as two jobs. Open the mat with your fingers until you can see the burr, hold the hair at the base and take the burr out in pieces, crushing it first if it is large. Then work the leftover tangle out from the ends inward, as in our guide to getting mats out of dog hair.

Leave it to a groomer when the mat sits tight against the skin or several burrs have felted into one solid patch, often on feathering, the tail or the backs of the ears. VCA notes that a large clump of burrs or grass awns can form a mat that has to be cut out, and it is clear on the tool: clippers, never scissors.

Between the toes and around the ears

Toes and pads

Paws are where burrs hurt most and hide best. Spread each foot gently and look between the toes, between the pads and in the fur on top. A burr or sandbur sitting in the fur can usually be lifted out with your fingers or the comb while you hold the toe fur at the base.

A swollen, sore foot after a walk can be a burr you haven’t found yet; the AKC suggests soaking the paw and feeling gently for the tender spot. Stop if your dog pulls the foot away or limps, or if the burr is pressed against the skin. The same guide notes that burrs in the feet are often painful enough to need removing at the vet’s office under mild sedation. For the everyday routine at the door, see how to clean dog paws after a walk.

Ear flaps and ear canals

A burr on the outside of the ear flap comes out the same way as anywhere else: rest the flap flat on your palm so the thin skin is supported, hold the hair at the base and tease the burr free. Never reach into the ear canal with fingers, tweezers or a cotton swab. Head shaking or pawing at an ear after a walk through grass can mean a foxtail has gone in, and only a veterinarian can safely look down the canal and remove it.

Troubleshooting: when burrs won’t cooperate

The burr crumbles as you work

Dry burrs often break apart and leave bristly fragments. Pick out the bigger pieces, comb the section, then use the slicker for the small bits. Fragments you cannot see you can usually feel, so finish by running your fingers down to the skin.

Your dog won’t keep still

Work in short sessions after a walk, when your dog is tired, with a helper or a lick mat on the floor. At the first lip lick, freeze or pull away, finish on an easy spot and try again later. A growl or snap ends it; the rest is a groomer’s job.

The coat is full of them

Clear the painful places first, meaning the toes, armpits, groin and ears, then work through the rest over a few short sessions. If burrs run through most of the coat, a groomer can often clip out the worst areas faster and more comfortably than hours of picking.

The fur feels greasy afterward

That is the oil. Wash the area with a dog shampoo and rinse well; our guide to getting tree sap out of dog fur covers washing oil back out of a coat.

Preventing burrs on hikes and in the yard

Pick the path. Once seed heads dry, from late spring through fall, stay on mowed or paved paths and keep your dog out of tall dry grass and weedy field edges.
Check on the trail and at the door. On weedy trails, run your hands or a comb through the coat every so often, as the AKC’s foxtail advice suggests, and check between the toes before your dog gets back in the car or the house.
Brush when you get home. The AKC’s advice is to keep the coat well brushed, especially after a walk in the woods, so burrs lift out before they work down to the skin.
Prep the coat. The AKC notes that some hunters use a leave-in conditioner or detangler made for dogs to protect the coat and cut down on burrs.
Ask for a seasonal trim. A groomer can keep feathering, the belly, the ears and the fur between the pads shorter in burr season. The same paw trim helps in winter; see how to get snowballs out of dog fur.
Clear the yard. Pull up burdock, cocklebur and foxtail grasses by the roots before they set seed, and bag any seed heads.

Our hiking with a dog checklist covers the rest of the trail routine. If the day ended in a lake or river, take the burrs out first, then follow our guide to cleaning a dog up after swimming for the rinse and the drying.

When to stop and see a groomer or veterinarian

Book a groomer for burr mats tight to the skin, large felted patches, knots near the eyes or genitals, or a dog too uncomfortable to let you finish.

Call your veterinarian if you notice any of these:

A burr or seed pressed into the skin between the toes, or a paw your dog will not let you touch
A foxtail that is partly buried, or one you suspect but cannot find
Sudden sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing or reverse sneezing after time in long grass
Head shaking, a head tilt, pawing at an ear, or discharge from it
Squinting, pawing at an eye, or eye discharge
A swelling, a draining spot, or licking at one place that keeps going after the burrs are out
Limping, or red, raw or oozing skin where the burrs were

If your dog swallowed a burr while chewing at it, the AKC guide says it may pass on its own, though some dogs need veterinary help. Call your veterinarian for advice, and promptly for gagging, coughing, heavy drooling, vomiting, or trouble eating or passing stool. Any difficulty breathing after time in long grass is an emergency.