Poor Dylan….

Last week, just before hurricane Irene, we noticed Dylan was not picking up his toys in his usual manner (two or three in his mouth at a time) and seemed to be having difficulty eating biscuits (although it did not stop him from trying to inhale them). He also had worse breath than usual. We tied to look in his mouth and as we opened it he screamed. Off to the vet we went. They said it sounded like he had an abscess, possibly caused by Foxtail Grass Awn. We had never heard of such a thing. They kept Dylan overnight and did surgery. He came home on antibiotics and pain meds on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday he seemed to be doing okay and was at the shelter with us. On Monday morning Dylan’s face was swollen and his eye looked horrible. I rushed him back to the vet. He underwent more surgery and they put a drain in his face for the abscess.

He is home again and this is what he looks like….

Here is some information I got off the Internet:

Foxtail Dangers

Recently we have been treating an influx of pets with foxtails embedded into ears, nose, between toes and other various parts of the body. Some dogs enter the clinic sneezing violently, some with a constant head-shake, some with an abscess or swollen eye. These foxtail injuries are very dangerous to your pets and should be treated immediately. Foxtail barley is a perennial grass, commonly found in yards, fields, along roadsides, trails and in most canyon areas. They grow quickly during the rainy months, in almost any soil condition, and dry out during the warm summer months. Once foxtail grasses dry out, the seed detaches easily and sticks to clothing and fur. Foxtails can enter a dog’s body in a variety of ways and once they enter, they are like a barbed fish hook: The seed only wants to move forward, burrowing into the skin. It’s most common for a foxtail seed to enter a dog’s body through the skin, nose, ears, paws, and eyes. Foxtails are very tenacious, painful and dangerous to your pet. Foxtails in the ears, nose, and eyes are very serious and can ultimately be life-threatening if they are not treated promptly.

Foxtails burrow. The outsides of the “seedlings” contain a bacterium with enzymes used to break down vegetation. This bacterium also allows the seedling to burrow into a dog along the tunnels of pus created by the enzyme.

A foxtail can literally go anywhere in the dog. For example, they have been found inside the brain, anal glands, eyes, ears, jowls, feet, spinal cord, lungs, and vagina.

Mouth: Dogs can get foxtails in their mouth. The symptoms of a foxtail stuck in the gums, between teeth or back of the throat include a painful mouth (difficulty eating and drinking), gagging, difficulty swallowing when eating, etc. If swallowed,
foxtails can be passed. However, if it gets caught in periodontal pockets, the tongue, in between teeth or in the back of the throat, it can cause problems.
You can tell if this has occurred, not only from the above symptoms, but possibly your pet may have a foul odor coming from the mouth. Your vet will anesthetize the dog, then locate and remove the foxtail.

From another website:

The danger for pets 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.