It’s that season once again when pet owners need to stay diligent about foxtails.
…BUT WHAT ARE FOXTAILS?
Foxtails come from a common type of grass awn. The grass generally grows during spring with fuzzy, barb-like heads falling off its stalks once the weather begins to turn dry. If you live on the East Coast, there is a chance you’ve never even heard of these plants!
However, if you live in California you have certainly seen your fair share of foxtails popping up in recent months. BUT, do you know how lethal they can be to our furry friends? We’re going to break down what you should know about these dangerous plants when it comes to our canine companions!
From late spring to the early parts of summer it is prime time for these annual grasses to appear, particularly in the state of California, but they can show up anytime during the months of May to December. They pop up all over our favorite trails and even along the sidewalks we regularly frequent. Despite not looking very threatening, they can be detrimental to you and your dog’s day. Unfortunately, foxtails are here to stay so it is our responsibility to learn how to coexist with these precocious weeds.
How are Foxtails Dangerous?
Foxtails are insidious little plants shaped like an arrow. Unfortunately, they work in the same way as an arrow does as well; they go in one way and they don’t come back out.
Most often, they work their way in between toes, under eyelids, into noses, and down ear canals.
Less often but more destructively, they work their way into the lungs and beneath the skin.
Foxtails should be taken very seriously as they have the potential to cause significant secondary problems once they have entered the skin, respiratory tract, or genitourinary tract.
️ The pads of your dog’s feet – particularly in between their toes – are the part of the body most susceptible to foxtails.
The Damage Foxtails Can Do
Once foxtails are in the skin, they tend to migrate deeper into the body, causing inflammation and bacterial infection in the soft tissues. Animals with foxtails under the skin can often be seen licking the affected area constantly. Sometimes, though not always, a red bump may be seen on the skin where the foxtail is located beneath the skin. Due to the fact that these plants are always moving relentlessly forward and deeper into the body, they can migrate from inside your dog’s nose to their brain or can dig through the skin to perforate a lung.
The body has a particularly difficult time breaking down plant material, so undetected foxtails can stay embedded in your dog’s skin for a long time. Foxtails have been known to travel deep within dogs’ skin and nasal passages causing problems for weeks and even months after the season has ended.
Once they are embedded into your dog’s body they have to be manually retrieved in order to relieve symptoms. This means a trip to the vet to locate the plant and remove it before further complications ensue. If you suspect that a foxtail may be bothering your pet, please contact a veterinarian immediately. Embedded foxtails can cause discharge, abscesses, swelling, pain, and in some cases death. The sooner foxtails can be located and removed, the less likely they are to cause serious, long-lasting damage.
Symptoms of Embedded Foxtails
Some common symptoms you may notice if your dog is suffering from an embedded foxtail are: sneezing: violent sneezing with significant head movement, curled nostril(s), pawing at the nose, bloody discharge from the nasal cavity, squinting: eye discharge, pawing at the eye, swollen membranes of the eye, and localized swelling: draining tract present, discharge, inflammation, excessive licking and chewing at the area. Though all of these symptoms may not show up depending on the affected dog. Once the foxtail is removed most pets are more comfortable and no longer lick or rub at the affected area.
It is important to take the extra time to check your dog for these plants when you arrive home from going outside, even if you don’t think your dog came in contact with any foxtails while on their outing. The locations most prone to picking up these pesky plants are your dog’s ears, feet (especially the toes), eyes, nose, and groin area! Giving these locations some extra attention when looking through your dog’s coat can help prevent your pup from hanging onto any unwanted plant parts.
You always check your dog for ticks when you come home from a good hike in the woods! So, why wouldn’t you also be checking them for foxtails after every summertime walk? This small step goes a long way in protecting your dog from the dangers these plants pose.
REMEMBER: The best way to avoid problems with foxtails is to stay clear of them when you can and to check for them diligently when you can’t.
Stay safe this season! 
