{"id":42,"date":"2025-09-03T17:06:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T00:06:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lincolnhillsvet.com\/blog\/?p=42"},"modified":"2025-09-03T17:06:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T00:06:35","slug":"protecting-your-dog-from-deadly-foxtails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lincolnhillsvet.com\/blog\/protecting-your-dog-from-deadly-foxtails\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Your Dog From Deadly Foxtails"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"French<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Foxtail season is here, and while the dry, golden grasses may look harmless, they pose a serious and potentially life-threatening risk to your dog. Unfortunately, foxtails are a common problem in California, and have been reported in almost every state west of the Mississippi, they are also now spreading to the East Coast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Are Foxtails?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you hear the word \u201cfoxtail,\u201d<\/em> it\u2019s not referring to a single plant. Instead, it\u2019s a general term for several types of grasses found throughout the United States, including brome, barley, and millet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name foxtail<\/em> actually comes from the seed pods of these grasses. These pods are made up of sharp, barbed seeds called grass awns<\/strong>. While they may look harmless, grass awns can easily become embedded in a pet\u2019s skin, nose, ears, or paws\u2014leading to pain, infection, and even serious health risks if not treated quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Are Foxtails So Dangerous?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The real danger of foxtails comes from their unique barbed seed heads. These arrow-shaped awns are covered in microscopic barbs that allow them to burrow progressively into a dog’s fur, skin, or orifices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a foxtail embeds itself, those barbs act like tiny one-way hooks, making it nearly impossible for the seed to fall out on its own. With each movement your dog makes, the awn can travel deeper into the body, causing pain, infection, and potentially serious health complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foxtails can enter a dog’s body in numerous ways:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n