08/28/2026
The Dangers of Foxtails:
As you enjoy time outdoors with your pet, be aware of foxtail grasses! These are weeds with sharp, barbed tips that pets can step on, brush against, or inhale.
Foxtails thrive in a variety of environments throughout Alberta. Due to their sharp, pointy shape, they can become embedded in your pets skin/body and cause discomfort and injury.
Make sure to check your pets paws, ears, eyes, groin and armpits after anytime spent outside!
Signs that your pet may have a burrowed foxtail seed:
- Lameness
- Paw licking
- Red/inflamed paws
- Sneezing
- Scratching
- Head tilting
Foxtail seeds can migrate quickly and urgent treatment is required!
- They can burrow in to any part of the body and do not break down or dissolve.
- Due to their shape, they only migrate in one direction and do not work their way out on their own.
- They can get embedded between your pets toes.
- They can cause abscesses where they burrow under the skin.
- When inhaled they can become lodged in the nose, mouth, or lungs. From there they can migrate further and cause other medical issues.