Northtown Guardian Pet Hospital - Santa Rosa CA

Protect your furry friend from head to tail with the only monthly chewable that offers the broadest parasite protection against six types of parasites: ticks, fleas, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. When it comes to killing ticks, faster is always better. One of the four active ingredients found in Credelio Quattro, lotilaner, was found to kill ticks twice as fast as sarolaner in Simparica Trio® and afoxolaner in NexGard®1 Fast protection for your dog, and peace of mind for you.

Schedule your next vet visit with us to learn more about this new parasite protection!

Its officially foxtail season! Foxtails are barbed seed clusters found on certain weeds or plants, and grasses. Foxtails are often encountered on hiking trails, roadsides, backyards, and open fields.
Foxtails pose the biggest threat during the warmer months of summer when they are dried out and hardened,
Foxtails can enter the body through the nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. They can also pe*****te the skin, causing wounds and abscesses. Because of foxtails' shape, they can burrow into your pets skin and become embedded. Foxtails can travel through your pet's fur and skin and migrate into your pet's body. This over time can cause infection, abscess, and possible organ infections.
In order to diagnose whether or not a pet has a foxtail, a physical exam occurs where the doctor will investigate the area of entry to look for a drainage track. In some cases diagnostic imaging is needed to identify where the foxtail is in the pet's body.
This can include: ultrasound, X-rays, computed tomography (CT), MRI, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.). In some cases, surgical exploration is required to find the foxtail.

Foxtails must always be removed to prevent complications, If you spot a foxtail on your pet, you can remove it with tweezers. In these cases, it is important to make sure that you have removed the whole seed head. If any portion of the foxtail is left it has the potential to travel further into your pet's skin and cause infection.
If you are unsure that the whole foxtail has been removed contact your veterinarian. If you notice redness, swelling, discharge, or if your pet is experiencing discomfort, please contact your veterinarian.

The best ways to avoid your pet "catching" a foxtail:

Avoid areas that have foxtails, stick to paved paths, manicured grass, or sand.
Check and groom your pet after every outing where there may have been exposure to foxtails.
Purchase a netted hood that can attach to your pet's collar that will prevent foxtails and grass seeds from entering into your pet's eyes, ears, and nose. https://outfoxfordogs.com/
Keeping fur trimmed between toes and paw pads, around ears, groin area and belly.
Remove foxtails from your yard or your pet's area of the yard.

Most cases of pets with foxtails have very good outcomes, once the foxtail is removed. Usually, removal is an outpatient procedure. Sometimes, hospitalization is required for a full recovery.

If you have more questions regarding foxtails or thinking your pet may have a foxtail, please contact us via text or phone.