Hi, I'm new here.

Tundra has at least one, (maybe several) embedded foxtails. Our vet recommends surgery to remove at least one which burrowed into his abdomen. He will have to be anesthetized, for at least 1/2 hour. I am so worried that he may have a bad reaction to the anesthesia. For one thing, he had a bad reaction to a combination of annual shots (DHPP?), Rabies, and an oral antibiotic all at once, a couple of years ago.

I also read here in the forums about huskies reacting poorly to anesthesia. I feel in my heart that he may react poorly.

The vet has sent us home with a seven-day supply of Cephlaxin (an antibiotic) 2000 mgs per day, for the embedded foxtail, but she recommends surgery.

I am just terrified that he will have a bad reaction to the general anesthesia, maybe even die! I am waiting for a call-back from the vet, regarding my concerns. What should I ask her? Do any of you have similar experiences, or advice?

If we don't get it removed, he could become badly infected, even with antibiotics. If I agree to surgery, he could have a bad reaction to the anesthesia, and die.

Please, any help, ideas, advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

--Annie (owned by Tundra the Siberian Husky, who is seven and 1/2 years old)

Can you post a picture? Is that a possibility?

Tundra wrote:

Hi, I'm new here.

Tundra has at least one, (maybe several) embedded foxtails. Our vet recommends surgery to remove at least one which burrowed into his abdomen. He will have to be anesthetized, for at least 1/2 hour. I am so worried that he may have a bad reaction to the anesthesia. For one thing, he had a bad reaction to a combination of annual shots (DHPP?), Rabies, and an oral antibiotic all at once, a couple of years ago.

I also read here in the forums about huskies reacting poorly to anesthesia. I feel in my heart that he may react poorly.

The vet has sent us home with a seven-day supply of Cephlaxin (an antibiotic) 2000 mgs per day, for the embedded foxtail, but she recommends surgery.

I am just terrified that he will have a bad reaction to the general anesthesia, maybe even die! I am waiting for a call-back from the vet, regarding my concerns. What should I ask her? Do any of you have similar experiences, or advice?

If we don't get it removed, he could become badly infected, even with antibiotics. If I agree to surgery, he could have a bad reaction to the anesthesia, and die.

Please, any help, ideas, advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

--Annie (owned by Tundra the Siberian Husky, who is seven and 1/2 years old)

Is local anesthetic a possibility? I know it's a long shot, but it would be a lot easier than putting him under.

I would get the vet to do blood work prior to the surgery to be sure nothing would go wrong.

Balon did just fine with his anesthesia, good luck with this!

Megan, yes, I will try to post a picture. It may be in a little while... right now he is pretty much a couch potato with a t-shirt on to keep him from licking the area. In a bit, when he will get up so I can take him outside to pee, I will take a picture. The entry point is red and swollen, and draining. he is on antibiotics ---

Oh! the vet just called, I'm going to schedule Tundra for the surgery (probably Monday).

Thanks, and I will post a picture ASAP, if for nothing else than to warn others of the dangers of foxtails!!!

-- Annie

Thanks Megan, Jennet and June!

I appreciate your kind help

I am scheduling him for surgery this very moment. Will keep you posted.

I will post a photo of the injury site ASAP

Thanks again,

Have a great weekend!

-- Annie

BTW, it has to be a general anesthetic, no local, unfortunately. But the vet, and all of you who responded, have eased my mind, and I feel the surgery is better than the alternative possibility of a bad internal infection!

Those darned foxtails are evil. They only move in one direction, in this case, into Tundra's abdomen and then further up into his body.

Thanks for your advice,

Please pray for Tundra if you are so inclined,

-- Annie

I hope it goes well for Tundra. I'll be thinking of him!

Tundra will be in our thoughts, I'm sure he is going to do wonderful!

Thank you Ghost and Luna

Megan, here are photos, not very good ones. Not much to see, but the foxtail has tunneled inside, leaving a sore that is draining and bleeding. The vet thinks he has at least two that burrowed into him.

Please, everyone, be so very careful not to let foxtails get into your dogs like this.

They were hidden in his fur, and we didn't find them in time. The area is shaved now, but he needs to be completely clipped/shaved on his chest and underside to make certain there are no more.






Thank you all for the well-wishes. He will be having the surgery to remove these awful foxtails that have burrowed into him.

Poor guy!

I'm glad you are goign to do the surgery. Keep us updated.

Did the combo shot he react to have lepto in it (DHLPP)? A lot of dogs react to lepto.

I have never even heard of foxtails! How do they get imbedded?

Good luck with the surgery. I hope Tundra is better soon.

Pooor guy

UPDATE!! Tundra had his surgery, and is doing fine. I will make another post to update.
I want to thank everyone for the well-wishes.
I also will make another post about foxtails, for those who wonder what they are, what they look like, and the dangers of foxtails.

But here are a few links for now:

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/foxtail-grass-and-your-dog


http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/dogs/foxtails.html

(that one above is for California foxtails, but they are the same everywhere, basically


http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29569.asp


I may post my new posts/updates later today, or maybe tomorrow, but I want to thank everyone once again, and you'll hear from me soon!

I really glad to hear he is ok!

wow just seeing this! never knew a weed/grass could do that! poor Tundra. glad it all went well, did they find more then one?

Yeah, those things are relentless and no good at all. Seems like I remember reading about an inhaled one that did that inside the nasal cavities. Nasty stuff. I always keep up on those turds. They're thick after all of the recent rain too.

Yes, she (the vet) found several! We had to get his tummy and some of his chest shaved ahead of time, and there were several embedded, that we simply would never have enen noticed if he hadn't been shaved!!

I feel like such a bad "mother".

He has five sites with stitches, one of them has a drainage tube.

I am actually wondering whether to get him completely clipped/shaved, to make sure he has no more hidden. I would have to keep him out of the sun, and it is Summer here in AZ.

One of the foxtails she removed was just under the skin, sideways, healed over, just a tiny bump!! That's what scares me, that we may never even know about these things entering his body, and they can travel inside, even into his organs!!

I have always walked him on long walks through grassy terrain (we live in a rural area). I will never again walk him on anything but roads and sidewalks.

He is doing okay for now, still on Cephalexin (an antibiotic) and Rimadyl, for surgery-related pain. He pretty much lies on his doggy bed all day, while he is recovering. He has a head cone we put on at night, so he can't pull out the drain tube or any stitches.

I will definitely post about foxtails, and also an update with photos. Probably not today though.

Thanks for asking, and thanks again to everyone for your concern and well-wishes.

Foxtails are nasty! Here in Cali, they keep the vet clinics open for sure! I had one try and go into MY skin while restraining a dog that was covered in them! They hurt like hell! Glad that Tundra is doing good!

Balonsmom wrote:

I really glad to hear he is ok!

Thank you

hypers987 wrote:

Foxtails are nasty! Here in Cali, they keep the vet clinics open for sure! I had one try and go into MY skin while restraining a dog that was covered in them! They hurt like hell! Glad that Tundra is doing good!

I've never heard of that, but ouch!!! I imagine it felt like a toothpick or needle entering your skin.! They are like cactus spikes, (but they are a grass seed) with barbs on them to make them burrow in only one direction. owwie!

hey Eddy why have you never mentioned these to me? have we come across them?

Annie, can you use some kind of jacket on Tundra to keep them from entering his skin? like the cloud chaser from ruff wear? were they all on his underside?

I have never thought of a jacket! I must check it out!

The foxtails discovered are all on his underside, but I am worried that he may have more, yet-undiscovered, on other parts of his body, from lying in his yard, etc.

They can be inhaled through the nose, caught up inside the ear, or embedded through the paws, or the skin anywhere on a dogs body. They only move in one direction, because they are barbed. They can travel inside the body, even into the bloodstream, or even into organs.

I will check out that jacket. Thanks!