# Do You Know The Danger of Foxtails and Cheatgrass??? (Graphic Images)



## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

With spring in the air for many of us, and a recent post I saw, I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of these little spring/summer time hazards that can cause immense damage to your dog or cat. 

Foxtails are "a common weed. The many variants of the foxtail are not native to North America (with one exception), and many pet owners would gladly prescribe a Dantean punishment for the European immigrants—the Spanish in California where I live—who introduced the damned things to the New World."










Foxtail is a tufted, upright, annual grass with a shallow root system. Its seeds germinate from late spring to fall, growing quickly enough to shade flowers and vegetables. Able to reach heights of up to 5 feet, tough, clumpy foxtail weed sometimes is confused with crabgrass. Foxtail weed can be distinguished by its furry, bristled seed-heads. Its root system releases natural herbicides that can prevent nearby plants from flourishing. 

*Weed Control Techniques*
* Applying a layer of mulch to your garden that's at least 2 inches thick helps to discourage the germination and growth of foxtail weed by preventing light from seeping through. Alternately, vegetable and flower gardens benefit from an application of organic materials, such as wheat straw, grass clippings or mulched leaves.
* The majority of young weeds simply can be pulled from soil, but remember that it's essential to remove the entire root system. In the case of particularly weedy areas, cover the ground with several sheets of newspaper, and top it with 3 inches of organic mulch. 
* Applying a re-emergence herbicide containing pendimethalin the following spring can help to alleviate the problem.
* Grass clippings or other materials that may contain the seed heads from foxtail weed should be disposed of and never used as compost. 










*Now the Not so Good (graphic image alert)*
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This is the story of a dog who had a rather nasty encounter with your common foxtail.










"In April of 2004 my German Shepherd Dog, Oka, a healthy, 4-year-old German-bred dog out of the 2000 Weltsieger, had a brief bout of coughing. X-rays showed some lung inflammation, but a course of antibiotics seemed to clear it and we thought no more about it. Then, one Saturday in early August, quite suddenly, he became increasingly lethargic and anorexic, and by Monday he was quite ill and spent part of each following day of the week at the vet as he went from bad to worse "...

See the rest of the story here
http://leerburg.com/foxtail.htm

Cheatgrass, also known as Cheat grass (two words), June Grass, Downy Brome, grass awn, or by the scientific name, Bromus tectorum L., is a potentially dangerous weed common in many parts of North America. It is commonly confused with another dangerous weed, the foxtail. The danger lies in the "invasiveness" of the dry seed pods found in late summer and early fall. These pods have one-way microscopic barbs that allow the seed to work its way into fur, skin, and mucous membranes, but not work itself back out, much like the one-way movement of porcupine quills. Foxtail weeds shed very small black seeds which also work their way into fur, skin, and tissue. 

These annoying and troublesome weeds have been found in the skin (i.e. between the toes), eyes, ears, mouth, vulva and even interior body cavities such as lungs and abdomen, causing sometimes very serious punctures and infections. It is important not to underestimate the potential seriousness of this common problem. 










(Swollen paw caused by a foxtail seed)

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesconditionsfaqs/qt/QT_cheatgrass.htm

These are very real threats to our pets. Here is a google link to a ton more information. Please read thru and make sure your family is safe.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=foxtail+weed+and+your+dog&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=e948da35a920d2bb


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Yep, the stuff is a constant hazard here! You should see the mess it'll make if a horse or cow consumes it.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

What happens if a horse or cow eats it?


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

It buries itself in the mucus membranes and can perforate the stomach and intestines. It can also burrow into the membranes of the mouth and nose and even the softer parts of the hooves (frog) and cause some nasty injuries and infections.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

Well, I for 1 would not get that confused w/crab grass

I am wondering though, do foxtails seem more prominent in certain climates, or regions? I cannot say for sure if I have seen that weed before, but, then again, I have never really paid much attention though either. The only thing that I really "look" out for is poison ivy I will pay more attention looking out for foxtails now that I know the dangers. Leif is NOTORIOUS for munching on the "wilderness".

Thanks for the "heads-up" DS!!


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

I didn't see them much in VA or the southern states, in fact I found out about them when I moved out here to SoCal and I know they are prominent in the SW.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

cshellenberger said:


> I didn't see them much in VA or the southern states, in fact I found out about them when I moved out here to SoCal and I know they are prominent in the SW.


Good to know (for ME anyhow). Come to think on it a bit more, when I was up north, I did see lots of wheat fields, which, in MY opinion, wheat looks similar to the foxtail,...is wheat a "culprit" too?


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

yappypappymom said:


> Good to know (for ME anyhow). Come to think on it a bit more, when I was up north, I did see lots of wheat fields, which, in MY opinion, wheat looks similar to the foxtail,...is wheat a "culprit" too?


No, it doesn't have the barb like a foxtail does.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

cshellenberger said:


> No, it doesn't have the barb like a foxtail does.


 - Gotcha!! That makes perfect sence!! Was just trying to get this figured out from my end...it really is sad to think that something that grows wild, or all-over can do that kind of dangerous damage to our animals...mind boggling actually -thanks much for the clarification! I checked a couple of sites in the meantime, &, they also described that foxtail is often mistaken for crab-grass...I can attest that VA is covered in about 90% of the REAL crab-grass, &, to me, ...they look COMPLETELY different! I suppose thats what got my initial attention! *whew,...relaxes now*


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Well I don't know if it's any comfort to you or not but I do have it here in NW Pa. My lab got one in his ear ages ago (not Diego, my first love Mojo) MAN was that not a fun experience.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

D_S...I would HOPE that you of all people here would know that I would NOT "wish" this upon ANY doggie.. Until your post, I never had even heard of it being an issue  I was just being geinually curious about wondering if this grew in MY area wildly...cuz, I really had no clue. I am wishing & hoping that Mojo gets better soon!! What an awful thing to have to deal with, ESPECIALLY in one has NO knowledge to begin w/in the first place...keep us updated!! *hugs*


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Oh Goodness Yappy I would never think that of you. I actually lost Mojo nearly 6 years ago this January. This was an experience I had a long time ago with foxtails. I was just trying to give you a better idea if it was in your area since pa and va aren't really that far apart and have a similar climate.


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

Lets just chalk it up as the "awareness" sign for ME has been "risen" , &, after this thread, my Leif is going to have him mum shoved so far up his rear when hes outside or at the ballfield, or park, that he will NEVER have ANY access to this particular weed, so, I have nothing but gracious thanks to give you here!! Aplolgies out the wazu for your dear Mojo *sniffles*)


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

You're welcome yappy. I would do a google image search for these grasses just so you know exactly what they look like. When they're mowed down obviously they're gonna look different since you likely won't see the tell tale tassel at the end, but if they mowed them after they went to seed the whole area could have those little buggers laying around. 

Thank you for the sympathies o Mojo. He was my inspiration to get into the animal behavior field. He was so amazing, I wanted to learn everything that I could. Now he sits in a Lab urn on my mantle behind me in my office every day so he really isn't gone... just changed.


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

Yeah, there aren't any foxtails out where we're living, but since we're on a faux farm, there's other interesting stuff we have to look out for...


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Thanks for posting this. We've already had half a dozen ear foxtails, one nose foxtail, and a collection of foxtails that had created a huge swollen lump under a boxers tounge. Thankfuly for the boxer it's owner was the Dr's sister so they had no problem doing surgery to remove what was originaly thought to be a possibly cancerous mass and then out poped the foxtails. 

We've also had a very high number of ticks, fleas, and mosquitos. Yesterday literaly every other appointment was for a dog with a tick.


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