Veterinarians warn of the dangers of foxtails
Jun 10, 2026, 4:45 PM
FILE (Brigham City Police Department)
(Brigham City Police Department)
SALT LAKE CITY — Veterinarians say they’re seeing more pets than usual having problems with “foxtails.”
“We are definitely seeing a major increase in them and way earlier this year and way more cases of it than we have in the past,” Utah Veterinary Medical Association President Doctor Tonya Hardy said.
She said they’re also seeing these problems earlier than usual.
“I think a lot of it is due to the no winter, the dryness and how everything is drying out so fast that they are just becoming rampant, and they grew so fast and dried out within days,” Hardy said.
Hardy said once foxtail seeds get into an animal’s fur, the barbed seed often gets moved until it gets to the skin.
“They will actually migrate and they will… break into the skin and then from (that) point they can… travel from a foot all the way to an armpit and up the leg,” she said.
Hardy said you’ll also want to pay close attention to its paws.
“If you ever notice that your dog is licking at its foot, or there seems to be a red swollen area between a toe… then we need to get in there and get that foxtail out,” Hardy said. “The foxtail isn’t absorbed by the body… and (they) have to actually literally find the foxtail and remove it, flush it out… to kind of cure the infection that it’s creating.”
She also recommends checking the animal’s ears, and if the pet seems to be gagging, check its mouth and throat.
“We’ll also recommend warm compresses or soaking them in Epson salt because sometimes that can help flush and drain those little pockets and help them heal a little bit faster,” Hardy said.
She also recommended that people trim the dogs’ feet to provide more visibility.
“It’s so much easier if you find those and pull those little foxtails out before they get embedded under the skin and create an abscess,” she said.
