IMAUDIGGER
Silver Member
- Mar 16, 2016
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I think most people that have outdoor dogs have had to deal with foxtail injuries at least once or twice. In my area, the local vets are closed Sat. and Sun. (sometimes even on Friday).
1.) When it concerns injuries to the paw..NEVER wait to see if it gets better.
2.) Always take the dog to the vet the day you know you have a problem. Even if that means having to drive a couple hours on the weekend.
3.) Always try to flush the foxtail wound out with a syringe of hydrogen peroxide.
4.) Always keep a dog with a paw injury out of the dirt (in the house or garage).
5.) Always stay on an antibiotic regiment, even if it means the dog will not eat for 3 or 4 days. There are shots they can give them to help with nausea. Going off antibiotics..waiting a few days for nausea to go away, then switching antibiotics is not a good plan.
Lastly if you have foxtails in your yard where your pet spends most of its time. Spray them several times a year with herbicide until they are gone. Weed trimming or mowing is not enough.
Check your dogs paws daily this time of year.
Tetanus infection is a real risk with foxtail injuries. 3/4 of the cases of tetanus are related to foxtail injuries. 50% of those cases progress to a severe state of paralysis which is generally fatal one way or another.
Tetanus is a bacteria that persists in the soil as a spore (unrelated to rust or livestock feces).
It only survives in a low oxygen environment (buried in the soil).
A puncture wound provides the optimal place to flourish.
Foxtails can be deadly to dogs.
1.) When it concerns injuries to the paw..NEVER wait to see if it gets better.
2.) Always take the dog to the vet the day you know you have a problem. Even if that means having to drive a couple hours on the weekend.
3.) Always try to flush the foxtail wound out with a syringe of hydrogen peroxide.
4.) Always keep a dog with a paw injury out of the dirt (in the house or garage).
5.) Always stay on an antibiotic regiment, even if it means the dog will not eat for 3 or 4 days. There are shots they can give them to help with nausea. Going off antibiotics..waiting a few days for nausea to go away, then switching antibiotics is not a good plan.
Lastly if you have foxtails in your yard where your pet spends most of its time. Spray them several times a year with herbicide until they are gone. Weed trimming or mowing is not enough.
Check your dogs paws daily this time of year.
Tetanus infection is a real risk with foxtail injuries. 3/4 of the cases of tetanus are related to foxtail injuries. 50% of those cases progress to a severe state of paralysis which is generally fatal one way or another.
Tetanus is a bacteria that persists in the soil as a spore (unrelated to rust or livestock feces).
It only survives in a low oxygen environment (buried in the soil).
A puncture wound provides the optimal place to flourish.
Foxtails can be deadly to dogs.
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