Dog owner warning others about dangers of foxtail

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on July 24, 2024.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Poppie, a seven year old Maltese-spaniel cross, is healing after having surgery on her right paw to remove foxtail barley lodged in between her toes.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

A concerned dog owner is sharing her story to warn others about the dangers that foxtail barley poses to pets after her dog required surgery from coming into contact with foxtail at Legacy Park.

According to a recent post on the City of Lethbridge website, foxtail barley is a native prairie grass that thrives in dry, hot weather and it can be very dangerous to pets.

Foxtail usually matures in mid-summer, forming barbed seed heads. These can become extremely dangerous to dogs and other animals as they can get lodged in the skin, mouth, nose and eyes. If a dog digests these barbed seed heads, they can cause serious illness or even death.

Judy Dawson, who owns a seven-year-old Maltese-spaniel cross named Poppie, says her dog groomer discovered foxtail seed heads in her right front paw between her toes and was unable to remove them on July 4, which prompted her to take Poppie to the vet on July 9.

“I have called 311 on July 2 to report the foxtail growing everywhere in Legacy Park and was asked for specific location. The 311 operator asked me what do you want me to do about it? So I said they could be pulled, or mowed or poisoned,” said Dawson.

She said her vet started a round of antibiotics on July 9 in hopes that Poppie’s body would push them out, but it did not work, rather it worsened and by July 16 she was told Poppie would need surgery.

Dawson provided the Herald with pictures of foxtails in bloom across different areas in Legacy Park that were taken on July 15 between 9 and 9:30 p.m. according to the pictures’ metadata.

“I called 311 again once I found out my dog needed surgery and this time I asked to talk to the parks manager because it has been over two weeks and nothing had been done since the first time I called. So I talked to him in the afternoon and the next day the foxtails were mowed but not picked up,” said Dawson.

She said this was concerning since Garry Brown who works for City Parks and Cemeteries, had told her that the proper lawnmower required to remove the foxtails after being cut was broken and if they were to mow them with a regular lawnmower they would need to clean them up and place them in a garbage truck right away.

“At least when they are there (foxtails) and they are visible, and people are aware of how dangerous they are for their pets they can avoid them, but now they are hidden in the grass,” said Dawson.

Connie Moch, a concerned citizen who lives in the Uplands neighbourhood ,stopped by the Herald on Monday morning and said she saw the foxtails in the grass and was concerned about it last week.

“I saw Blair at the park on Monday (July 15) I went to walk a dog on Wednesday (July 17) and noticed the foxtails on the floor, I called Blair about it and when I drove by on Thursday they were gone. He made sure they were picked up,” said Moch.

She was referring to Blair Richter, general manager of Parks and Cemeteries with the City of Lethbridge.

Dawson asked the City for signage regarding foxtail and how dangerous they are for pets and was told they were going to look into it, but when the Herald inquired about it the City said they might look into it for next year as they are already in the middle of the season and have shared information about foxtails on the City’s website and on their social media.

“We have communicated about it every year over the last two or three years, whether that’s doing media stuff, or doing stuff on the website and social media,” said Tara Grindle, manager of communications and engagement with the city.

But Dawson believes that is not enough, as many of her neighbours were unaware of what foxtail is or its dangers to pets when she shared her experience with them because some of them are retirees who are not on social media.

“Not everyone is online. There are a lot of people who are elderly who walk their dogs around the park, so having physical signs at the park’s entrances where they can read them and find out about foxtail will be very beneficial instead of relying on people finding out online,” said Dawson.

Erin McIlwraith, operations coordinator with the City parks department, said that as a dog owner herself, she understands people’s frustration about foxtail.

“I know what is like, you have to be very aware of where you’re taking your dogs and keeping them safe, so I think our website has some really good resources for management of the situation like if there is foxtail don’t walk through the patch and keep your dog on a leash and just make sure that you have good control over them and keep them on the path with you,” said McIlwraith on Monday.

She added that if people are worried about their pets coming into contact with foxtail, the safest thing to do is to avoid the areas where they are all together.

But what happens when they are unaware of foxtail’s presence if they have been mowed and not picked up like it was the case for at least a day last week?

“We are aware of the locations of foxtails, but if people become aware of new locations please call 311 and let us know so we can take care of it. We are doing what we can to keep our parks in good shape with what equipment we have,” said McIlwraith.

She explained that the way 311 calls are taken care of is by triage and they get prioritized based on the number of calls for the same issue. Dawson is aware of this, as she was told her complaint was already logged in early July when she called subsequently.

“One of the calls I made to 311 was to ask if there is any form of compensation for my vet bill, as it cost me $903.49 and she referred me to a notice of claim application on the City website,” said Dawson.

As of the time of the interview with Dawson her dog Poppie had a successful surgery and was doing well. She is required to wear a cone while her three stitches are healed for at least 10 days.