Foxtails are pervasive awful little plants that can do a lot of damage to a dog. They can go into a dog's eye, nose, mouth, or ear, and often require surgical removal by a vet. They're common in the Bay Area.
They're most common in summer. They start out green after rain in Spring, and as it gets dry, they degrade and become more dangerous. Early on a dog would need to eat it (this can happen when there's nice looking green grass around it), but as they dry out, dogs can easily sniff a spot and have a foxtail fall apart and get in a nostril, or stick into the fur. The longer it's in the fur, the more it will work it's way into the skin.
They can easily get stuck in feet, and once they start working themselves in they need surgery to remove them.
They can also get stuck anywhere else in a dog's coat. And it's not always easy to see them, if the coat is long enough.
How do you avoid them?
Avoid trails with omnipresent foxtails. Check out our blog on dog friendly hikes.
Purchase an Outfox Fieldguard at Diablo Dog (We're located at 725 Alhambra Ave, Martinez). You can see if have your dog's size in our store here, or you can get them through the manufacturer here. Our prices are the same as theirs.
You can also shave your dog's feat to give less of a chance of a foxtail catching a ride. Sign up for grooming with us at our store.
You can purchase dog shoes. I'd like to say we have enough in stock, but they're definitely out there on Amazon or other pet related sites and stores.
Keep your dog on leash if you're unsure of the presence of foxtails. In my experience they're actually more common near trailheads than on trails, so if you don't see them early, you may not see them at all.
Once you have them on leash make sure they're under voice control and you can see them. If you need help with recall training here are some useful tips. And if you need even more help, our trainer can help you with that. Learn more about our dog training here and schedule us for an in home training consultation. We serve Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, and Alamo California.
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-Matt
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