Sand Burrs

Cyclonic

This discussion was created from comments split from: First Walmart ONP. I thought it may be useful as a separate thread.

jkjenn

RZRBUG said:

TaB2go said:

Have been making plans for our trip west checking for ONP at Walmart as an option. Spoke with a delightful woman who answered the phone at the Walmart off Rt. 80 in North Platte, Neb. who told me she "would leave the light on for me."

There's a Super Center on I-80 in Lexington, NE, that is very popular with trucks and RV's.  I stayed one night there on the way to The Black Hills and one night coming back this past summer.  Since there were so many there, I didn't even ask.  There were several there both times.  Caution:  If you walk a dog here, be aware that all the grassy areas are full of sand burrs.  Not too unusual for almost anywhere out on the plains.

Tell me about the sand burrs, Larry. I am bringing Rocky this year and we have no sand burrs, here.

Verna

@JKJenn--buy a men's comb, ond of those 6" inexpensive combs, and keep it in your pocket. If Rocky gets any kind of burr or cactus thorn in him, use the comb to quickly get it out. A friend gave me a "red" comb (what other color for me??) and I put it in my shorts pocket every day. It works for all types of burrs and also for cholla cactus, too. It certainly saves your fingers from transferring the burrs to your fingers. 

I think sand burrs are what Sunny Day got in Monahan's Sandhills State Park in TX. Small round burrs that Sunny Day kept getting in her paws. Bigger than a pea, smaller than a peanut. Hurts when you pull one out with your fingers, but the combs keeps the burr away from you and gets it quickly out of Rocky. 

RZRBUG

This is what a single burr looks like.


This is what they look like as a whole plant.

The plants can look a lot like normal grass if you don't know what you are looking for.  I carry a pair of tweezers with me at all times to extract them.  You need to be careful when you take them out because as you can see, the burrs are on all sides.  This means you need to pull straight out, and it is possible to embed them further if you are not careful.  Booger doesn't like them and I don't either, but we sort of have it down to a science and just accept that we're going to have to deal with them almost every time we stop.  For this reason, I make him walk on pavement a lot just avoid them.  If Rocky starts walking with a limp or with a paw up, you can be pretty sure he's got one--or two.

Once you get west of a line that runs roughly Arkansas/Missouri/Iowa, you can pretty much assume they are around until you get to the mountains.

Nomad

Sand Burrs...

jkjenn

OK, thanks, gang. WE used to have what we called "burr-docks" (sp?) where I grew up. It has been years since I got into them, though.

ChanW

Yep, I found the perfect campsite (Texas? Oklahoma? I forget) right down next to the water, had got all set up, and I noticed the pup was limping. 

These blasted things were everywhere. The only place he could go was the mat I'd laid out for him. Not a happy dog. And yes, they hurt when you get them in your fingers!

Thought we'd be there a couple of days, but sadly we had to leave the next day.

No fun!

Alan

Sand burrs are awful! Let me repeat, AWFUL! Full of awff!

lisacatrose

we call those stickers in Texas and yes will make a pup and a barefoot person limp I carry tweezers in my pocket as well as a comb usually carry the pup(4lb yorkie);)

DurangoTaB

Even worse in NM (thankfully not in Southwest CO) are goat-head weeds...I've gotten many a flat tire on my bike, and pulled many out of my poor dogs paws...
http://www.vetconm.com/stickers-in-your-dog-fur-how-to-tackle-the-prickly-beasts/

RZRBUG

I may be spitting in the wind here, but I'm going to try these.  Since Booger hates having his feet messed with, I'm thinking I may be wasting my money, but we'll see.  My next planned trip West is not until September, so may be a while before I know for sure.

Nomad

The way you started that comment, I thought YOU were going to try them yourself ;-)

AustinRoamers

Thanks Larry - the booties are a good idea.  We live in central Texas and those nasty stickers are a misery.