SternWake
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Here in San Diego, we have weeds called foxtails, not sure their latin name or other nomenclature, but they love to get caught in dog's fur, and can wreak havoc. I do not know the extent of their full geographical range.
I do not own a dog, but there is a dog I love who lives nearby where I park, and she started limping a few days ago.
Her owner and I had a close look at the paw, and found a foxtail still in her fur on the affected paw, and some others and thought we sorted it out. Her limp mostly disappeared, but she kept licking her paw over the next few days.
Yesterday, I got a close look at her paw and it was infected and said to make an appointment with the Vet ASAP, Said I'd take her if the mother of 3 younguns was too busy, and so I did.
I told the vet about the foxtail we found, and removed from her fur days ago, and she knew that the issue was likely one had burrowed under her skin as she sees it all the time, and worse than just in the paw.
So We got her on the table and the Vet dripped on the Lidocaine on the raw wound, then injected some into it.
She busted out some forceps and probed them deep in the wound, the business end going nearly 7/8th inches deep, and she said Ah haa, and pulled out a fox tail, by the very end of it, which was 3/4+ inches long and a bunch of puss and blood followed it.
The head of the foxtail had buried itself at least 1.5 inches deep up in between her toes, into her paw. Poor girl.
She behaved so well during this ordeal. She was nervous as dogs get at the vet, but smart enough to know we were trying to help her. The vet said we'd have to put the cone of shame on her to keep her from licking it, but then said they had no more in her size and that I'd need to get one at Petco.
While we were waiting on the paper work I made sure she did not lick her paw and irritate it, kept telling her that she could not keep doing that or she'd get and have to wear the cone of shame, and she seemed to understand and made no further attempts to lick her paw, but she did try and rub it with her other paw a few times.
Such a sweetie. Here's a pic from when i got to take care of her for a few weeks last summer, and kept her overnight in the van with me:
USB fan on the belly:
Hey, you know you want to throw this ball!:
I hope she heals up quick so I can throw the ball for her again.
The foxtail weeds are pretty prolific right now, and I'll try to remove them and keep her away from them, and check her fur more often, but she listens so well she's got pretty free roam of the area, and her fur is a magnet for them.
The Vet bill was 325$
So, keep an eye out for this devil weed and search your dog's paws and fur for them:
http://agron-www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/Ag317-99/id/WeedID/Ffox.html
The Vet said she's seen them get into both females and male's Junk before too, and deep into the ears and noses too.
http://www.loveyourdog.com/foxtails.html
I do not own a dog, but there is a dog I love who lives nearby where I park, and she started limping a few days ago.
Her owner and I had a close look at the paw, and found a foxtail still in her fur on the affected paw, and some others and thought we sorted it out. Her limp mostly disappeared, but she kept licking her paw over the next few days.
Yesterday, I got a close look at her paw and it was infected and said to make an appointment with the Vet ASAP, Said I'd take her if the mother of 3 younguns was too busy, and so I did.
I told the vet about the foxtail we found, and removed from her fur days ago, and she knew that the issue was likely one had burrowed under her skin as she sees it all the time, and worse than just in the paw.
So We got her on the table and the Vet dripped on the Lidocaine on the raw wound, then injected some into it.
She busted out some forceps and probed them deep in the wound, the business end going nearly 7/8th inches deep, and she said Ah haa, and pulled out a fox tail, by the very end of it, which was 3/4+ inches long and a bunch of puss and blood followed it.
The head of the foxtail had buried itself at least 1.5 inches deep up in between her toes, into her paw. Poor girl.
She behaved so well during this ordeal. She was nervous as dogs get at the vet, but smart enough to know we were trying to help her. The vet said we'd have to put the cone of shame on her to keep her from licking it, but then said they had no more in her size and that I'd need to get one at Petco.
While we were waiting on the paper work I made sure she did not lick her paw and irritate it, kept telling her that she could not keep doing that or she'd get and have to wear the cone of shame, and she seemed to understand and made no further attempts to lick her paw, but she did try and rub it with her other paw a few times.
Such a sweetie. Here's a pic from when i got to take care of her for a few weeks last summer, and kept her overnight in the van with me:
USB fan on the belly:
Hey, you know you want to throw this ball!:
I hope she heals up quick so I can throw the ball for her again.
The foxtail weeds are pretty prolific right now, and I'll try to remove them and keep her away from them, and check her fur more often, but she listens so well she's got pretty free roam of the area, and her fur is a magnet for them.
The Vet bill was 325$
So, keep an eye out for this devil weed and search your dog's paws and fur for them:
http://agron-www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/Ag317-99/id/WeedID/Ffox.html
The Vet said she's seen them get into both females and male's Junk before too, and deep into the ears and noses too.
http://www.loveyourdog.com/foxtails.html
