Fox Tails in dogs - Corona Animal Emergency Center (2024)

FAQs

Is foxtail in a dog an emergency? ›

It's best to avoid foxtails whenever possible. If you do encounter them, be sure to thoroughly inspect your pet's hair, ears, and between their toes. A foxtail injury is considered medically urgent and your pet should be seen by your regular veterinarian or EPIC if your vet is unavailable.

So, as soon as you dog shows symptons, such as shaking head or holding head to the side, or licking paws flapping ears or sneezing violently, run, don't walk him to your vet. If the vet does not have to put the dog under to retrieve the foxtail, the cost may be around $150 for removal.

Removing the visible seeds from your dog's coat can be done with tweezers but is the seeds attached deep within the ear or eyes, nose throat, or any delicate area, that needs urgent attention. If you suspect that foxtail is the cause of your pet's distress, take him immediately to your veterinarian for an examination.

Foxtails can be very dangerous, because they won't come out on their own and can work their way into the lungs, eardrums, spine, and even brain.

Foxtails can easily attach to long hair. Taking your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible if you notice head shaking or persistent sneezing after being in an area with foxtails. These are common signs of foxtails in the nose and ears.

Foxtails: a common problem

VPI receives hundreds of claims each year for surgical removal of foxtails. Many of these claims are submitted in the spring or summer for dogs and cats in the western U.S., but location isn't the only thing these claims share. Cost is also a common factor, with many claims topping $1,000.

If caught early they are relatively easy for your vet to remove. But if left untreated they can cause infection, and in serious cases, can travel through the body to your pet's internal organs and even cause death. How do I tell if my pet has a foxtail?

If you catch foxtails quickly, you can often get them out of your dog using tweezers. But foxtails can penetrate fast, and then become deeply embedded. When this happens, conventional veterinarians will remove foxtails surgically … usually under local anesthesia.

The grass seed awn of foxtail grass won't dissolve, and it causes pain and infection. It's barbed, so it will keep traveling through tissue one direction, and it can actually be fatal depending on where it ends up. It needs to be removed surgically.

For occasional foxtail weeds, reach for Roundup® for Lawns1 Ready-To-Use. If foxtail grass has already taken up residence in a big way, though, opt for Roundup® for Lawns3 Ready-To-Spray or Roundup® For Lawns2 Concentrate instead.

What happens if a foxtail gets stuck in a dog's paw? ›

If there may be a foxtail stuck in your dog's paw, you will notice that he is limping, or licking the area. He may even bite at his toes if the pain is severe enough. Any of these is cause for alarm and he should be examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Just like humans, a dog's nose is very sensitive to irritation, often resulting in a violent sneezing fit to dislodge whatever is causing the discomfort. In the case of most dogs, especially in California, the foxtail is all too often the culprit.

Try Vinegar

White vinegar is a DIY way to kill weeds in your yard, and it eliminates foxtail weed without harming the turf grass.

Coughing and respiratory distress are the most common signs. Limbs: Lesions related to the entry and migration of grass awns in paws and limbs of pets can appear like swellings or like nothing at all. Pets may lick at these areas or limp when they walk.

Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide that will kill foxtail as well as most all other plants (grasses and broad leaved).

But most commonly of all, dogs can accidentally sniff foxtail seeds into their noses as they are smelling the ground. And the moment a light-weight, stiff, bristly, awn enters the dog's nose, you know it, because almost every dog will immediately and violently SNEEZE, again and again.