Spring and Summer Mean Foxtail Danger in Diamond Bar

If your dog keeps pawing an ear, shaking his head and whimpering, the cause may be a grass foxtail in his ear canal. Then it is time for a visit to East Valley Emergency Pet Clinic, our Diamond Bar animal hospital.

What Are Foxtails?

A variety of grasses grow foxtails. When you see their flowering spikes topped with tiny plumes of seed for the first time, you may think they look like small stalks of wheat.

Bristly and bushy, the seedheads contain numerous barbed seeds or spikelets that can burrow into your pet's skin as easily as they do into soil.

Abundant in dry climates, foxtails can cause many problems for pets in late spring and summer. Aside from ears, they may lodge in eyes, mouth, nasal passages, paws, tummies and anywhere they can dig in.

Dangerous Bacteria

To ensure that foxtail seed roots in soil, nature has also coated the outside of each plume with bacterial enzymes. They break down the cellular matter of other plants keeping the seeds from reaching soil. The enzymes harm pet fur and flesh.

Prevention and Symptoms

When on hikes, leash dogs so they don't wander into weedy areas where foxtails are prevalent. After your dog or cat spends time outside, it is always a good idea to feel and look in its fur for foxtails in the same way you would check for ticks.

In addition to ear pain, symptoms of internal foxtails may include (1) sneezing accompanied by a bleeding nose (2) an unusual gait when walking, (3) a squinting, oozing eye and (4) gagging.  

Diamond Pet Emergency Care

Internal foxtails are cause for concern because they do not break down and may migrate, sometimes reaching brain and lungs.  This results in the need for surgical removal.

If you observe any behaviors hinting at an internal foxtail, contact us at (909) 861-5737 for emergency veterinary care immediately at East Valley Emergency Pet Clinic in Diamond Bar. We are open 24/7 on weekends and from evening through early morning on weekdays.