# Darn Foxtails Again!! @#$$%^!!



## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Poor Lola. On Monday night she was scooting and licking her vulva alot, so I took her to the vet to have her glands expressed. Her glands were not full. They thought her vulva was oddly swollen. So more sedation, a bikini trim and indeed my poor little girl had a foxtail in her vagina! OMG! I can't even begin to sympathize. She was very agitated and jumpy last night. The only way I could keep her from licking was to lie down with her on my chest, so no sleep for me, but she did get some rest. 

I pick her up in an hour. She'll be getting oral and topical antibiotics. 

I guess I am going to have to pull her from her dog walk/hikes. She had one in her ear 2 months ago. Both times we avoided costly surgery, but I would rather have avoided the pain for Lola. 

For those of you in the West - beware!! For those of you in the East and MidWest - be thankful you don't have these buggers. Of course, Lola continues to hump one of her dog walk pals, so that is probably how it got in there. Wanton woman that she is!
:frusty:


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

We dont take our dogs on hikes for this very reason. Now is just not the time. In the winter when its green it ok, but not in the summer.

For walks just plan a route that doesnt hit any weeds, its hard to do sometimes but if you drive it first you can see where the problem areas are. When I take mine in the mornings I do an elaborate dance around peoples yards and across streets to avoid the weeds. Its a bit time consuming but it is worth it.


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

EstrellaVila said:


> We dont take our dogs on hikes for this very reason. Now is just not the time. In the winter when its green it ok, but not in the summer.
> 
> For walks just plan a route that doesnt hit any weeds, its hard to do sometimes but if you drive it first you can see where the problem areas are. When I take mine in the mornings I do an elaborate dance around peoples yards and across streets to avoid the weeds. Its a bit time consuming but it is worth it.


I do the same, Estrella. There are times I'll walk Maddie in the middle of a street to avoid a side yard where weeds with possible foxtails are. I've been known to even stop and pull a small mound of foxtails in someone's side yard (even with my bad back!). I hate to think of an unsuspecting dog picking one up with serious consequences. Those things are nasty, nasty, nasty.


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## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

Now you guys have me scared about my trip!! I am researching foxtails right now so I can get a clear picture of what they look like. My husband still teases me because I don't know what poison ivy looks like....


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Ouch -that poor baby!!


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

Amy you will be ok! Its not scary, you just need to keep you eyes open. Anything dried up/dead looking is usually a good thing to avoid and since we are having a drought there is a lot right now. I definetly wouldn't let your furbaby have free range for sniffing in people's yards unless its a perfectly green lawn.

Jeanne, I am glad I am not alone! My mom thinks I am nuts when she goes with me. We made a fun game out of it, everytime we come up to someone's house with a [email protected] lawn we sprint past it with the dogs. They think its fun and we get our workout.


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## Eva (Jun 20, 2008)

OMG that would hurt! :jaw:

Yikes!! Poor little girl 
I don't think that we have that around here...not that I know of anyway. I'll keep an eye out for it just in case. 
The bain of my existance right now is Bedstraw...aka..catchweed
http://weeds.cropsci.uiuc.edu/images/Catchweed bedstraw/pages/Catchweed bedstraw 1.htm
It's not harmful like foxtail..just annoying. Todd loves tall grass and when he's diving in and out of it he comes out covered in little spikey round balls that take forever to pick out. 
Thank goodness that he has a short coat...it would drive me crazy trying to comb it out of a long coat.


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Oh poor Lola!!!!  That must be very painful and uncomfortable! And you too, Anne...a night of no sleep is not a good thing. Hope she heals quickly...sending healing vibes.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

OH poor Lola and Anne. While I am no longer in LA, I experienced foxtails in our short time there. And Dora wasn't even hiking! I just took her on the street to meet Dasher and it happened within 5 minutes on a paved road  All the time we took her hiking she never got one!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

OUCH!!!!!!!!!! I can't think of a worse place for a foxtail!! Poor lLola! I would keep her out of the weeds and dry grasses for now. It's awful this year, we have more foxtails than I've seen in awhile. I hope she's doing better now.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

OMG---Poor girl! I can not imagine how that must of hurt. She is lucky you are so observant and caught it and was diligent about getting her to the vet. :clap2: Great Mom!:clap2:


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

Ouch! Poor Lola! That happened to my parents' dog a while back. Not fun. 
In California you do have to be careful about walks!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Oh poor Lola! That must really really have hurt! I hope she feels better soon!


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Ouch - that must of hurt big time. Thank goodness your vet decided to take a look at the whole dog. Poor thing. Glad she's going to be okay.


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Update on Lola - she is doing great. She is still in pain "down there" and leaps around trying to lick. But she knows when I say "No Licky" from her spay time that I mean it, and she stops right away. We both got a decent night's sleep last night and went to a green grass park in the city today. The vet bill was $395. Welcome to SF! 

Thanks for the good thoughts. Poor little punkin. What a way to "loose your v-card" as they say on Gossip Girl!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Oh my god Anne. Poor, poor Lola!!! I don't think anything I have read on this forum has made me squirm so. How is she doing today?


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Oh Anne!

I am so sorry Lola found yet another foxtail, poor baby. We deal with foxtails on daily basis, as we always go to Fort Funston and that place has foxtails everywhere!!!! I actually check their paws every time we come back home and I always carry tweezers with me, just in case.

I am glad to hear Lola is feeling better and I hear you on the crazy vet prices in the city. Who is your vet?


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

juliav said:


> Oh Anne!
> 
> I am glad to hear Lola is feeling better and I hear you on the crazy vet prices in the city. Who is your vet?


Lola goes to Bobby Leyba at the SF Pet Hospital on Fulton near Divisidero. They have been great, price aside.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

oh glad LOLA is doing ok... she can start the Havanese Version of the Vagina Monologues...Hope she is not scarred for life for losing her v-card (first time I have ever heard this expression) to a weed. I would type (LOL) but I am still squirming.


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## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

all i have to say is i feel her pain.

red ants, skirt, no undies, what was i thinking? equals major vagina monologue.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

OMG Amy, girl, you are just way too funny. I can't even imagine the pain. I sure hope the person you were with really appreciated your efforts. Have you seen the Vagina Monologues? It's just a riot - well worth a girl's night out.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Yowch, Anne! How awful! 
Okay, I'm uncrossing my legs now!


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