Foxtail barley dangerous for pets as it matures

Leslie Cholowsky Editor

Dog owners who walk their pets in fields or paths should be on the lookout for foxtails.

Foxtail barley is a weed that grows throughout Alberta. You might see it along the edges of the path, in a field, or growing out of a crack in the sidewalk.

In the spring, it is a lovely soft grass that some dogs and cats enjoy chewing, but as it matures, it hardens, and starts to produce a bristly spike that dries out and begins to resemble a fox tail. The drier the plant gets, the more brittle it becomes, and it will start to fall apart into individual segments, called “awns.”

The awns have sharp spiked ends that easily get tangled in pet hair, and even in the mouth, gums, tonsils, ears, and paws. They can even get caught under the skin and cause an abscess.

Because of their shape, the awns only move in one direction, and so must be physically removed before they cause issues.

Experts say, “The three most common hazards for our pets are the nose, ears, and between dog toes.

“Once inside, the seeds start a relentless crawl forward, traveling deeper into a dog’s tissue.

“To these bristly seeds, longer, thicker, or curly coats behave a little like the ‘loop’ side of a Velcrotype hook-and-loop fastener; a foxtail can stick to the coat, and wherever it sticks, it will start to burrow, enabling the seeds to penetrate anywhere on the furry dogs’ bodies.”