Pandemic Set to Strike the Pets of California
Fortunately, dogs and cats purportedly can’t contract the current strain of swine flu that is all over the news. But over the last several days I have been watching the foxtails dry up around my neighborhood. And at work I have been removing foxtails in droves.
Foxtails are dried plant seeds. In areas where they occur they are public menace number one for dogs and outdoor cats. They lodge in eyes, ears, and the skin between the toes. They can be sniffed up noses and get caught behind tonsils.
Wherever they end up, foxtails cause irritation and discomfort. Also, they can migrate through the body to cause serious infections in distant sites such as the heart and lungs.
Be aware of foxtails, and do your best to keep your pet away from them.
Photo: this plant wants to hurt your pet. Courtesy of Dog Owner’s Guide to California Foxtails.
You have questions. 
Foxtails are one of the plants I go after with extreme prejudice! I had a siamese that got one up in a nostril. wasn’t pretty… carefully removed it with my surgical tweezers and kept an eye on the site until I was sure it was clear of any complications. Best method of control is a weed whacker!
Here’s what the seed pods look like.
It’s at least $1000 at the vet to get a lodged foxtail removed. A man at the dog park once showed me where a foxtail burrowed into and through his dogs skin!
My first dog Coco got a foxtail in his ears and got an infection. We didnt even noticed until he would yelp when we pet his head by the ears. We went to the vet right away and the removed the foxtail. They had to put him under anesthesia (he wont let anyone touch him at all) and removed the foxtail. Vet gave it to me and it was big. Gave me a week of ear ointment to clear up. Really nasty business these foxtail.
I got a foxtail stuck in my eye! The vet had to remove it and check my eye with this big machine….I had to have eye drops put in every 2 hours and had to stay in the house, and Dad always cuts the grass and weeds. The vet thinks it might have blown into my face somehow. After that incident. Mom and Dad go out and hand pull those weeds and put them in the green bin right away. They feel if it happened once, it could happen again. Get rid of the foxtails and if your neighbor has them, work out a deal. Those things can really damage an eye!!!!!!! Or get stuck in a paw.
Interesting information , in our parks (Ua) grows similar herb, I shall be careful !
Thanks for the heads up! Expensive vet bills can sometimes be avoided by doing very simple things. If I do need medication for my dog I generally shop online.