They're back!
After being gone for a couple of years we once again need to be
carefull!
The foxtail can come from a variety of plants as shown but they all can have a big effect on your dog’s health and affect your pocket book. Generally they get into your dog through an opening such as the ear, nose, anus but that is only the beginning. The feet , between the toes, under the dog’s coat should always be checked when you have been in an area containing these self propelled spears.
They are difficult to get out in one piece because they are made of several pieces all designed to separate from one another, so you have to make sure you got all of them. The pieces enter the body as one unit, point first and propel around by compression to the wings and releasing the pressure to the wings. They have been known to travel through an animal’s body. Best defense is to remove them before they enter the body.
Easily recognized (and avoided) by its prominent serrated leaves, the stinging nettle is a herbaceous plant related to hops, marijuana, mulberries, and elms. The minute, fluid-filled hairs on the leaf surface and stem can cause a stinging or burning sensation on contact with the skin.
How much it affects you depends on how
sensitive you are to
its fluid. For some reason, it does not seem to bother very many dogs,
perhaps because canine pores in the skin are different than human pores.
April,2009..Class Newsletter