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Taz ingested a mouthful of foxtails


Laurae
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I was throwing a football-shaped air kong ball for my dogs in the backyard of my new (to me) house just now, and Taz came back with it absolutely covered in foxtails. I didn't even know I had foxtails on my property, though a quick walk over to the area confirmed that I have a ton. A bunch of live green plants that I didn't realize would turn into foxtails and a bunch of dead foxtails still sitting where I had weed whacked this past weekend. Anyway, Taz returned the now-covered ball and I opened his mouth and he had a bunch of foxtails in his mouth. I managed to get out like two of them before he stopped wanting me to poke around in there, and then he swallowed them.

 

Should I be nervous? Does anyone know how long it would take to pass or digest or otherwise no longer be harmful? This comes just three weeks after my other dog Craig came off a field covered in spear grass. I spent hours picking them off him, but I doubt he ingested any. Is there anything I can do for Taz now, besides wait and watch for any signs? (of what? lethargy?)

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This is one where I would NOT panic over foxtails...despite the fact that I go through the house constantly picking up every foxtail I see in the carpet, for some reason, Riddle EATS them. She goes around, finding the ones I have not picked up, and scarfs them up. It's very weird, and although I try to keep this from occurring, it still does. These have not yet caused a problem, but the ones in the nose, ears, etc. do. Also, generally, a number of them that go up the nose end up being swallowed, and it seems to pose no threat. Only those that stick or whatever do. I would watch to make sure that they did, in fact, get swallowed, and are not stuck in the throat, but if they were swallowed, apparently it is not a problam,

Anna

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Any update on the foxtail ingestion? Any noticeably pokey-looking poop? :rolleyes:

Anna

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I actually have the answer for you (former California resident here).

 

If the dog swallows them straight down and they don't get stuck, they get digested. The dog's stomach is designed to be very aggressive about digesting things and not letting solid objects (like bone) go through. Although foxtails are much harder to digest than bone, believe it or not, the spiny part is not, so it's pretty safe.

 

Your dog isn't 100% home free, but like Anna said, I'd far rather my dog ate foxtails than got them in an ear. You still want to go over your yard with a fine tooth comb. I used to help my best friend clear her yards - they had an Old English Sheepdog, can you imagine? We didn't have a dog, but my horsey friend had an Aussie. Her dog couldn't come with us on trail rides during the summer and fall - it was terribly sad.

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Hmm...I haven't see any pokey poop...though he sort of uses the dog door and I just didn't think to restrict his access outside so I could better monitor his, um, output :rolleyes: . Rats. Though even if I saw a bunch of foxtails in it, how would I know all of them had passed anyway? And, if a foxtail did embed somewhere, how would I know that? He seems fine right now.

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Update:

So far, Taz is just fine. A vet tech friend told me that if he was going to have digestion problems, he should have by now. And if he happened to inhale any, he should be coughing--which he isn't.

Thanks again for the wise words--I think life is good again :rolleyes:

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Yeah--that's been several days now, right? Whatever was there has gone on down the line...

Anna

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