A 1‐year‐old German shorthaired pointer presented for a swelling on the calvarium, lethargy, pyrexia and poor performance during hunting trials. On initial oral examination, a suspected draining tract was noted caudal to tooth 210 according to the modified Triadan system of tooth numbering. Focal ultrasonography aided in identification of an abscess with a grass awn foreign body but was unable to determine the full extent of the pathology accurately. MRI was useful to determine the nature and extent of disease and visualization of the grass awn. The patient underwent surgical removal and debridement and responded well to treatment. Not only does this paper report an unusual migration pattern of a grass awn, it also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the various imaging modalities employed during the diagnostic process.