When we call out certain plants for being hazardous to pets, we’re usually talking about toxicity. But with foxtails, it’s all about physical contact.
Foxtails are seemingly innocuous seed pods that arise from all sorts of grasses across the U.S. Their salient features are long, sticky fronds that attach to an animal’s fur. From there, pieces of the seed pod can work their way into an animal’s skin, eyes, ears or nose — sometimes much deeper.
Foxtails are especially prone to burrow between a pet’s toes, where they often cause painful inflammation. Paw chewing, eye discharge, coughing or sneezing and head shaking and are all signs to check for these sinister seed pods. Left unchecked, they can cause serious problems.
Welcome to Animal Airwaves, when we call out certain plants for being hazardous to pets, we're usually talking about toxicity. But with foxtails, it's all about physical contact. Foxtails are seemingly innocuous seed pods that arise from all sorts of grasses across the US. Their salient features are long, sticky fronds that attach to an animal's fur. From there, pieces of the seed pod can work their way into an animal's skin, eyes, ears, or nose, sometimes much deeper. Foxtails are especially prone to burrow between a pet's toes, where they often cause painful inflammation. Paw chewing, eye discharge, coughing, or sneezing and head shaking are all signs to check for those sinister seed pods. Left unchecked, they can cause serious problems. Animal Airwaves is brought to you by the UF Veterinary Hospitals, embracing the value of preventive pet care. Be daily, check up yearly, and love forever, visit us at animalairwaves.com. (dog barks)
