28/07/2024
Beware of the Foxtail plant. The foxtail plant is a grass-like w**d. This plant can be risky for your pets.
While foxtails are often caught in the fur and can be quickly removed, they can also migrate internally through several common routes such as the nose, ears, and eyes. If these problematic hitch-hiking seeds find their way inside of your pet, they can cause many serious problems. Once inside, foxtails cause internal abscesses and even infections of the bones around the spinal cord, they can also become lodged in the abdominal organs or lungs.
Foxtails aren't always easy to spot, but if you see any of the following symptoms during foxtail season, contact your vet immediately.
Nose: violently sneezing and pawing at the nose, and sometimes a bloody nose.
Eyes: rubbing the eye, squinting and pain, excessive tearing or discharge
Ears: head tilt or violent shaking of the head from side to side, pain, discharge, or odor.
Mouth/Throat: gagging, loud coughing, difficulty swallowing (you will notice your pet having “exaggerated swallowing” movements, like when you have a sore throat), and possibly increased odor.
Paws: continuous licking of the paw or pad, or the appearance of a swollen “bubble” between the toes, or a small “hole” in the skin which is indicative of a draining tract, which is the path the foxtail is taking under the skin
Under skin: formation of sores or abscesses.
