warning for pet owners

Be careful if you have this type of weed/grass in your yard, and pets that might run around in it. The foxtail grass is a lot more than just an annoyance. It can actually be dangerous to your pets, especially little ones that are low to the ground.

Yesterday, in a matter of only a few minutes, my tiny went from being happy and frolicking to screeching in pain and panicking. He never reacts like that so we knew something was wrong and immediately took him to the vet.

(Dime for scale) This had burrowed into his ear, all the way down next to his ear drum.

The vet told us that these things have tiny barbs that burrow in. They can even penetrate skin. She's seen one of these burrow into the chest of a dog and get into it's heart cavity. She once had a patient that got one stuck inside of the dogs vagina and started burrowing into the uterine wall. So please be careful with your pets and have them avoid areas where these grow.

After getting home from the vet his brubber knew something was wrong and guarded him the rest of the evening as he slept off the sedation.