Went for a lovely walk this morning but I am afraid a foxtail has been sniffed up the nose of my 6 mo old doxie dachshund.

I dropped a tiny bit of olive oil in 15 minutes ago. It happed about 4 hours ago, I believe. He is sneezing. Vet's office is about to close for day in 1 and 1/2 hours, and it is Friday...

Should I make in trip to vet, do you think? Or gamble that the foxtail will moisten up and dissolve enough to move away from the soft tissues?

Thank you for your opinions, Wendy and Henry

Don't risk it coming out on it's own. It is not likely to happen and can cause serious damage up there... http://www.placervillevet.com/foxtails.htm

Any foxtail that enters a dog through the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, feet, or vagina ,if ignored, has the potential to travel (burrowing along the tunnels of pus created by the seedling's bacteria) anywhere in the dog's body. Don't ignore any of the outermost symptoms, as internal symptoms are usually not visible. Severe injury and even death can occur if the foxtail reaches the dog's brain, spinal cord, heart or lungs.




"A foxtail can literally go anywhere in the dog. For example, they have been found inside the brain, anal glands, eyes, ears, jowls, feet, spinal cord, lungs, and vagina. We will focus on the symptoms, first aid treatment, and veterinary treatment for foxtails in the more common areas of the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, feet, vagina, and a general wound.

Ears: The symptoms are clear: a head tilt or head shaking is the immediate response of a dog that has a foxtail in its ear. Later, the symptoms look like an ear infection. The larger the dog, the less noticeable the symptoms so monitor your dog carefully. Vizslas, due to their height and hanging ears, are less likely to get foxtails during normal every day activity than shorter and/or pricked-ear dogs. However, our dogs can and do get foxtails in their ears. First aid response is to put drops of oil into the affected ear to soften the foxtail. This softening helps prevent the foxtail from moving forward and may allow the dog to shake it out. Unless you see the foxtail shaken out, do not assume it has been removed. Take the dog to a vet for removal of the foxtail. The vet will most likely conduct an otoscopic exam and a simple retrieval.

Eyes: Symptoms for foxtails in the eyes are a gummy discharge and a squint, or an eye glued shut. In parts of California, for example, if an eye is glued shut, it is generally considered a foxtail and treated as such. First aid response is to calm the dog. If the foxtail is in sight and you can control your dog, use a blunt tweezer to pull out the foxtail. Foxtails cannot be flushed from the eye with water or eye-wash, nor can they be removed by applying ointment. Get your dog to the vet. Once at the vet, the dog will usually need to be placed under a general anesthesia, especially if your dog cannot remain calm while being handled. After a topical ointment is applied, the vet will remove the foxtail. A calm dog can have a foxtail removed from its eye without the anesthesia, but most cannot.

Nose: For a foxtail in the nose, the obvious symptoms are spasmodic and serial sneezing. If blood comes from the nose as a consequence of sneezing, you are almost assured it is a foxtail. First aid treatment is to drop (not squirt) some oil into the nose. Mineral oil is best but baby or vegetable oil can be used. The oil will soften the foxtail, so hopefully, it will not continue to burrow. The oil is for the dog's comfort as well as to help stop the foxtail from poking the sensitive nasal passages. But again, get your dog to a vet quickly. Once at the vet, the dog will be anesthetized, its nose scoped, and the foxtail found and removed.
Mouth: Dogs can get foxtails in their mouth. The symptoms of a foxtail stuck in the gums or back of the throat include gagging, difficulty swallowing when eating, etc. If swallowed, foxtails can be passed. However, if it gets caught in periodontal pockets, the tongue, in between teeth or in the back of the throat, it can cause problems. You can tell if this has occurred, not only from the above symptoms, but also because the dog may have a "dead body" odor coming from the mouth. The vet will anesthetize the dog, then locate and remove the foxtail.

Interdigital: Symptoms are continuous licking of the foot or pad, or the appearance of a bubbly swelling between the toes. First check the dog. If you think there is a foxtail, you can soak the foot in warm water 10 to 15 minutes one or two times a day for three days. This will assist in the creation of an abscess in the area that will eventually burst. Once it bursts, you can remove the foxtail by milking the abscess and backing out the foxtail. Once the foxtail is removed, keep soaking the foot, but now add an antiseptic (like betadine) to the water (about one tablespoon per cup of water). What should be clear by now is that for foxtails, "pus marks the spot," so always look for a bubble of pus on the foot. Sometimes the bubble shows up and disappears, then shows up somewhere else on the dog's leg. From our experience this indicates a roving foxtail and the best bet is to get your dog to the vet."

Please post an update Wendy CA. I'm hoping very much that you got the dog to a vet.
Wishing you the best.

Update! Henry my dachshund had a foxtail removed from his nasal canal (near back of throat) and is now fine. It was fully intact and about one inch long.

Thank you everyone!

Thank you for posting an update. I am very pleased everything turned out okay

This "drop of olive oil" thing seems pretty weak to me...
When a friend's dog got a foxtail in his nose, I found a web page recommending packing KY JELLY into the dog's nose...
Since KY JELLY is a toxic petrochemical, I substituted ORGANIC COCONUT OIL (solid enough to pack, but turns liquid once in the nostril)
The combination of solid oil and lubey smoothness pushed the foxtail through the nasal passage into the dog's mouth, for handy ejection...