Two weeks ago Bear went camping/hiking with Michael on the boys weekend trip. He had a blast as you saw from the photos and well...he got a foxtail stuck on the top of his nuckle.
I am usually really good about cleaning him and brushing him after trips to make sure nothing gross is hanging around. Well, this time I found two ticks (gross!) and a few foxtails. I thought he was great! I even cleaned up his toe pads and cut his belly hair last weekend. Well- Monday comes around and Nicki calls me at work and says "ok- don't panic"....of course I am freaking out as she says this..."but Bear has a nasty foot. It looks kinda bad". So I worry the whole way home and when I walk in I see some hair pulled out and he is licking it. There is a hole in the center of it and I am thinking ok, it must has been a foxtail he got out and he will be fine. I cleaned it and put a sock on him to prevent licking and hoped it would be better in the morning. Unfortunately, we had no such luck.
It has gotten worse and today I took him to the vet. She said it was a foxtail and told me that they just travel through the body. She even told me that one tiny dog died a few weeks ago because a foxtail got into he lungs and punctured one. Yikes!! So, she shaved his toe area where the infection was and applied topical stuff to numb it. Then she took out some tweezer things to try to get it out. She didn't find anything and is hoping that it has gone already but if no we have to go back next week. He'll then be put out and she will take it out by cutting him.
So for now we are hoping for the best! He is on anit-inflamatories and has to soak his paw twice a day.
I never knew that foxtails could be so nasty and do so much damage. I hope that he heels soon! My poor baby feel so bad. Here are some pics from today.
1. Bear chillin' in the front seat on the way to get Michael.
2. Bear & I loving each other (I had the camera in my left hand)
3. Bear's paw post-vet
4. Bear's paw post-vet
5. Sad little cub after soaking his paw