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The western states had a record spring for moisture and the high desert was in full bloom. The wild flowers were beautiful and the desert mountains were green. The down side of
 this picture is that the weeds are really taking advantage of the ideal conditions, too. One of the weeds in particular is very troublesome to your pets. This weed is the cheatgrass and some of its cousins which produce those things called “foxtails”. These are nothing more than the seed but they can cause all sorts of problems. As the days get warmer and the afternoon winds pick up, the foxtails dry up, turn a beautiful golden brown, and become the stickers that love your socks and pant legs. They also raise havoc with your pets. The characteristic of the foxtail is that it mimics a porcupine quill, and will migrate in only one direction after it attaches to the fur or finds its way into an opening.
At Sierra Veterinary Hospital in Carson City, we see several pets a week that are limping and licking their feet (foxtails in the paws), shaking their head (foxtails in the ear), gagging or coughing (foxtails in the throat and tonsils), pawing at their eye (foxtail under the eyelid), sneezing (foxtails in the nose), in male dogs foxtails will work into the prepuce (skin around the penis) and in females foxtails will work their way into the vulva. There are cases where foxtails have gotten under the skin and migrated to the lungs, into the heart, and into the spinal cord. What can you do to help protect your pet? First rid your own yard of the foxtails. Be particular where you walk your dog. If you spot foxtails, go to a different area, though difficult to do in our environment. When the wind blows, the stickers will settle into your yard and you need to be on constant foxtail patrol and pick up. Make it a habit to check your pet at the end of the day and brush the fur for foxtails (good time to inspect for ticks, too). It is a good idea to clip the hair between the toes and on the paws, similar to a poodle cut but just the feet, to help keep foxtails out and make it easier to spot stickers before they enter the skin. Once a foxtail has penetrated the skin or passed through an opening such as an ear, it needs to be removed. If it cannot be removed with your pet awake, sedation or anesthesia may be necessary to allow for deep probing. Although it seems hard to believe, these can and are life threatening problems if the foxtail gets into the wrong place. Cats can get into foxtails, too. They seem to be better than dogs at grooming and taking care of themselves and the foxtails don’t seem to cling to their hair in the same fashion.
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