Foxtails

Dog Foxtail Symptoms

Foxtails can cause problems for dogs and outdoor cats, and the symptoms of foxtails depend on where on the body the foxtail has burrowed itself:

• Nose foxtails: If the foxtail is located in your dog's nasal passage, they may experience signs that include pawing at the nose, severe sneezing and possible bleeding from the nose. Symptoms sometimes diminish after several hours, becoming intermittent.
• Ear foxtails: If the foxtail is located in your dog's ear canal, they may present signs like tilting and shaking the head, pawing at the ear, crying and moving stiffly.
• Eye foxtails: If the foxtail has ended up under your dog's eyelid or behind the eyeball, they may exhibit signs like squinting the eye, redness, swelling and mucous discharge.
• Throat foxtails: If the foxtail is located in your dog's throat, they may exhibit signs like swallowing repeatedly, stretching the neck, gagging and coughing.
• Feet foxtails: If the foxtail embeds into your dog's feet, they may start licking excessively and show signs of redness of the toe web and possibly a bump or draining tract.

If your pet shows any of the above symptoms of foxtail, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian immediately to get the issue looked at by a professional.