In the off-leash dog area at Seattle’s Magnuson Park, about a dozen carefree dogs are running around and playing.
The area is made up mostly of gray dirt. What patchy grass remains is kept short, meaning a lower chance of encountering foxtail inside the enclosure.
Foxtail is a tall grass that turns tan in warm, dry weather, and then drops barbed seeds to the ground. Those seeds can burrow into a dog’s skin, and in some cases lead to expensive vet bills.
That means dog owners should be on alert in areas where grass grows freely in the summer.
‘Bad news’
Jessica Hewitt is in the park with Zora, her Siberian husky. Zora has evaded foxtail so far, but Hewitt’s previous dog wasn’t so lucky.
“I'd pull them out of her fur when she got in the grass,” she said.
Hewitt said she is especially diligent when foxtail abounds this time of year. “I know it can be bad news.”
Unlike a splinter or small piece of glass, foxtail seeds have barbs at the end. In a worst-case scenario, a barbed seed can pierce skin or lodge inside a pet’s nose or ears. Removal could require anesthesia and surgery.
That is why Hewitt tries to keep Zora away from tall grass, and keeps a close eye on her coat, picking out seeds and brushing her more often.
“If I see it when we get back to the house, I make sure she doesn't have any stragglers in her fur,” Hewitt said.
Irene Yen, a traveling veterinarian based in Seattle, encourages pet owners to do a “paw check” when they get home. She said pet owners may start to see symptoms when foxtail burrows into a pet’s fur or if they have inhaled a seed.
“They notice that a pet is licking consistently at a swollen part, or shaking their head a lot or sneezing a lot,” Yen said.
Treatment can include trying to extract the foxtail seed from the wound — if they can see it. In rare instances, Yen said, they need to conduct a CT scan or X-ray to see if a pet has inhaled the seed.
According to Yen, foxtail can afflict all dogs alike.
“It’s the adventurous dogs,” Yen said. “Not necessarily a short coat or a long coat, but the ones that are going out into a field and exploring everywhere.”
As a travel vet, she has noticed trends across the state,
“When I was working in Yakima, we saw a foxtail issue everyday,” Yen said. “When I’m working in urban Seattle in June and July, I saw one once a week.”
‘This year is even earlier’
Foxtail, also called foxtail barley, is a plant native to North America, said Jim Kropf, director of the WSU Pierce County Extension. It is very common in Western Washington.
Kropf said that as foxtail matures during the year and loses moisture because of dry conditions, it turns tan and the seed heads fall apart. That is when the seeds’ backward barbs pose a danger.
“It's kind of like if you got a porcupine quill or a fish hook in your finger, tried to pull it out, it doesn't come out very easily because the barb's going the other direction,” Kropf said.
As the weather gets warmer earlier in the year, Kropf said, foxtail issues arise several weeks earlier as well, even before summer really gets going.
“The maturation process can happen sooner with warmer weather,” Kropf said. “Last year was early. This year is even earlier.”
He said the best thing property owners can do to limit the danger of foxtail for animals is to pull, mow or weed-trim foxtail, particularly when the seed heads are still green, before they turn tan and stiffen.
Back at the dog park, Margaret Salmi of Lake Forest Park is playing with her Burmese Mountain Dog, Bogart. Bogart does not like to be brushed, so Salmi has a hard time looking for foxtail after their outings.
“He has long fur, so he just picks it up, and then I find them on the floor at home later. But he's never had trouble with it,” Salmi said.
Salmi said she will occasionally see signs posted in the park warning dog owners to stay vigilant against foxtail. She has also seen city crews keeping foxtail in check.
“It was growing all along the fence, and they've made an effort to get rid of it,” Salmi said. “I appreciate everything they do for a dog park.”
