Foxtail Dogs
Kanisha Dezarn
Foxtails are spiked seed clusters found on some weed plants and wild grasses. In Northern California, these can include foxtail grasses, barley and millets, plants often encountered on hiking trails, roadsides, and in backyards and open fields. Foxtails get their name because the shape of the seed head resembles the bushy tails of foxes. These spiked seed heads can pose severe health risks by migrating into tissues where they can cause abscesses and widespread infections.
Foxtails are especially dangerous when they have dried out and hardened, typically during the summer months. However, cases are seen throughout the year in warm climates. Foxtail-associated conditions are more commonly observed in dogs than cats, but can potentially adversely affect domestic, feral, and wild animals.
Foxtails most commonly enter the body through the nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. However, they can also penetrate the skin, causing wounds and abscesses. Thanks to its shape, which is intended to burrow seeds into the soil, once the foxtail is in the body it cannot reverse direction and come out on its own. Over time, embedded foxtails can work their way through tissues, sometimes even migrating into the brain, lungs, and other vital organs.
Diagnosis of a foxtail foreign body is determined through combinations of patient history (i.e. known exposure to foxtails), physical examination, diagnostic testing (blood and serum testing), biopsies, and diagnostic imaging (ultrasound, X-rays, computed tomography (CT), MRI, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.). In some cases, surgical exploration is required to find the foxtail.
The short-term outcome for foxtail-associated lesions is good, and most cases can be managed on an outpatient basis. Some cases require short hospital stays. A minority of cases develop life-threatening disease and may require a combination of imaging, endoscopy, and surgery to resolve the condition.
Predominantly found out West, foxtails exist throughout the U.S. in parks, meadows, flatlands, and other grasslands. In agriculture, foxtails are the second most common weed among broadleaf crops, fruits, and vegetables, according to the Weed Science Society of America.
The most dangerous exposure is when dogs inhale a barbed seed. This can happen if your dog runs with its mouth wide open in a field of foxtails. Inhaled foxtail seeds can wind up in the lower airways of your dog's lungs. Fortunately, this is rare.
Shaped like the tail of a fox, the tip has seeds arranged in spikey clusters with backward-facing barbs.1 The spikes and barbs allow for one-way burrowing, which is great news for the foxtail but bad news for dogs.
In some cases, foxtails can burrow through the skin, finding their way into the spine or chest and belly cavities. Once inside, the foxtail continues to burrow, bringing bacteria and dirt along with it.
In the worst case scenarios, an embedded foxtail can make it to vital organs, including the lungs, spinal cord or brain, heart, and abdominal organs, causing symptoms specific to that organ. In very bad cases, surgery may be required to remove foxtails or treat infection resulting from embedded foxtails.
These plants and seeds can be particularly dangerous, causing pneumonia if the dog inhales them. The shape of the barbs allows the seed to continuously move forward, traveling inside the dog from the nose to the brain or into a lung, and spreading bacteria that cause infections.
Grass-awn disease is a growing problem among hunting dogs, but any dog can come in contact with these plants when running or walking through tall grass because they are quite widespread throughout North America, especially from May through December. Dogs with long ears and coats may be more likely to pick up the barbs.
A well-fitted Field Guard is easily accepted by most dogs because it is engineered for comfort. The correct size allows room for the dog to open his mouth and pant, and for air circulation around the face that is necessary for cooling. If you want the best fit for your dog, use these measuring instructions for exact sizing.
Adjusting for Fit The correct fit is as important as size for your dog's comfort and acceptance of the Field Guard. Download the OutFox Comfort Guide for how to create the best fit for your dog.
Dr. Ellis explains that the most dangerous exposure to this plant is when a dog inhales a piece of the feathery-looking barb. This typically happens if a dog is running and leaping through a field of foxtail plants, mouth wide open. As the dog takes a deep breath, the foxtail can end up in the lower airways of the lungs. Thankfully this is rare but can ultimately be fatal.
After piercing the skin and entering the body, foxtails can migrate under the skin if left untreated. (Cats can also get foxtail injuries but it is less likely than with dogs.) Foxtails can also get caught in the eyes, nose, genital areas, or almost anywhere in the coat.
Thankfully, aware pet owners can lessen the incidence of foxtail injuries. But be on the lookout and be very careful to check all over your pet after being outdoors. Foxtails can blow through the air on windy days so even if you are just out walking with your pet, they can find land and attach on their coat or paws.
Be vigilant out there during this time and pay a bit more attention to how your pet is acting after being outside. Remember that our SF SPCA online pharmacy is an easy and convenient way to restock special pets foods and vital medicines or supplements.
For me, the $45 to $50 price tag is worth it. Chico had to be put under to take the foxtail out, and that is said to be the most dangerous part of basic surgeries, especially for smushfaced dogs, and wathcing him in pain was just awful. California is just horrible with foxtails right now because of the drought. They are everywhere.
So, try your best to keep your dog away from these horrible plants. They are everywhere, even on city streets, let alone in dog parks and by beach areas. Even our neighborhood park has them growing not only around its perimeter, but even in the main area where grass once was. Several years ago, there were no foxtails there at all.
It is a dangerous world out there -especially for our dogs. There are many evil threats that are just lurking around the corner, waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting canine. This is why I am starting a
Dog Threat-Down List.
All of these Prime Evils have the capacity to kill dogs, and are not afraid to do so; in a seemingly detached, and indiscriminate manner. You may not know it, but chances are you have encountered these spawn of Evil before, and will do so again.
Bromus is a particular species of grass that is common in temperate regions including the Mediterranean countries, and parts of Australia, and America. These Bromus Malus are common where I live, and they become very dangerous especially in the summer months. When the weather turns hot and the rains stop, the Bromus dry out and their seeds become sharp and pointy like ninja shuriken.
One of the most awful things about these grasses is that they are everywhere. They are all over the hills where I hike, they are all over the parks, and they also live on the edge of neighborhood sidewalks. This makes them very dangerous, an activity killjoy, and number-1 on the dog threat-down list.
If you have lived around foxtails for a long time, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. These seed heads multiply like rabbits and can be very irritating. Plus, the dangers of foxtails are very real.
A foxtail is the seed head from a grass-like weed. Interestingly, a foxtail plant is actually not one specific plant. Instead, it is the name for a generic group of plants that drop these dangerous seeds. Some of the plants in the Setaria and Alopecurus families are among the most common culprits.
During the spring and early summer, foxtails appear as green grasses. It can be easy to mistake them for lawn grass, so you might be tempted to ignore them or maybe even let them grow. However, as the days get warmer through summer and fall, the plants begin to dry out and die. They become yellow and brown. Sometimes they have a hint of dark purple as well.
At this point, the foxtails are tall grasses with large, and sometimes multiple, seed heads. These seed heads are sharp and barbed. As the plants die, the seeds fall to the ground. In areas where there is a foxtail infestation, there can be so many seeds that is looks like a yellow blanket on the ground.
Once a dog has an embedded foxtail, it can damage the tissue around it. The tissue may die or an abscess may form. To further complicate matters, the barbs also make it difficult to remove the foxtail without breaking it.
Head tilting is another symptom that makes me suspect a dog has a foxtail in his or her ears. Just like when we have water trapped in our ears, a foxtail in the ear canal is uncomfortable for your dog. This causes him or her to tilt the head, often toward the ear with the foxtail in it.
However, it also can be hidden as well. It might be below the eyelid or it could have migrated behind the eyeball. In these cases, dogs can develop red, swollen eyes. You also might see your dog pawing at his or her eyes because they are painful and itchy. There can even be increased clear, yellow, or green discharge from the eyes.
If your dog is showing any of these signs, give your vet a call. This is true even if your dog sneezes out a foxtail. There could still be more foxtails in the nose or in other locations on the body, so is best to have your dog seen by a veterinarian.
Even worse, the foxtail can embed in the gums or cheek tissue. Since the mouth is so full of bacteria, this is a very common place for an abscess to form. I have seen cases where dogs had so many foxtails in their mouth that it actually destroyed the tissue and created a hole in the cheek.
In these scenarios, dogs can be very painful and sensitive when you touch their faces or while eating. Your dog might even stop eating completely. You may also notice blood, a foul smell, or abnormal drainage coming from the mouth. Contact your veterinarian promptly if you notice any of these signs or think your dog ate foxtails.
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