Foxtails and Our Pets

The desert, even though normally dry, can produce a lush green mat with spring rains. We all enjoy the beautiful wildflowers, but what we often overlook is the light green wheat-like interspersed throughout the new spring growth.

It may look benign enough, but this plant, commonly known as foxtail, can wreak havoc on our pets. “Foxtails” are the dried seed heads of western grasses. While still in the green stage, the problems it creates may be minimal, but once it dries out, as all of our desert grasses do, it becomes a course for severe problems. As the awn (one of the slender bristles on the head of some grasses) dries out, the seed heads break off easily. These foxtails are pointed on one end, and barbed on the other, much like a fish hook that allows it to migrate through many different materials. After attaching to an animal, the foxtails tend to move easily in one direction—in.

The most common areas that foxtails affect our pets are ears, eyes and noses. Common clinical signs of these are head shaking, corneal ulcer and severe sneezing, respectively. Another typical location is between the toes, which usually leads to a blister type abscess on the top of the paw. Foxtails can penetrate the skin anywhere and usually migrate, which can lead to a “looking for a needle in the haystack” scenario. Removal generally requires veterinary assistance. The recommended treatment for this problem is removal of the foxtail and symptomatic treatment of the lesion present. Left unattended, some of these lesions may become quite severe with the potential of a grave prognosis.

The best way to handle the problem of foxtail is with early detection, both in your yard and on your pet. To be effective in dealing with foxtails in your yard, you must treat prior to the foxtails forming awns. Mowing or using safe herbicides (such as Roundup) are vialbe alternatives to pulling these weekds by hand. If the plants have already formed awns, you must completely clean up all of the related debris to avoid any problems.

To protect your pet from the hazards of foxtail, keep it’s coat clipped short, especially between the toes, and when walking, stay on the road or stick to the trails. And, of course, check your pet regularly. If foxtails are not detected before they work their way into orifices or penetrate the skin, they will require the attention of your veterinarian. Since foxtails rarely work their way out on their own, it is a mistake to wait; these things usually get worse, not better.

Submitted by Animal Health Services of Cave Creek