Gracie Doodle Goes BACK For More Surgery!!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Well, Gracie Doodle went back for more surgery today. The first surgery was on Wednesday and here it is Friday and she had to go back. Her paw continued to look really bad and the swelling wasn't going down. I took her in and they said they would have to put her out and do more surgery. My poor baby!!! This time it was "our" vet who performed the surgery. We had a different one from the group on Wednesday. I'm sure they are all the same but this one knows us personally and I some how feel l he would go that extra mile for us. He found another fox tail and when I went to pick her up it was taped to my bill...funny...NOT! I don't even want to tell you how much this is turning out to be. It was interesting to hear how the fox tails work. They can travel through the paw to the leg and then up to other parts of the body if not taken care of. Of course people had to tell me the horror stories about fox tails going to the brain or heart and killing the dog. Just what I don't want to hear. It turns out that the fox tails sort of leave an opening or tunnel as they go. The surgery involves using tiny forceps that they insert into the entry hole and they start tracking up using a clamp and pull method. They hope to clamp on to something, feel resistance and then pull...hopefully finding a fox tail. If not then they continue to advance upward further into the paw. Sounds disgusting doesn't it? Well, he is concerned about one huge hole that she has. He is afraid there might be one more of those suckers! He has probed and probed and not found anything. He said that he went up 2 inches...Yipes! He said that the tunnel took a turn and started heading down to the foot pad. If there is a fox tail it will possibly work its way out to the soft furry area right behind the main pad and the heel pad. It will present itself as a boil, sore, puffy lump or some sort of abnormal looking lump. Gracie will probably start limping and licking which will indicate it's presence. The best thing that could happen is for it to poke through and then we could use tweezers to remove it. Cheapest too!! If not, then back into the vet for more surgery. Or, it could decide to turn around and go back up the way it went in. The one today had turned around and was on the way out. Strange things these Fox Tails. They almost sound like they are alive...but they are NOT! I never would have dreamed that this could become such a problem. Poor Gracie came home with an even bigger cone around her head. She managed to do a "play bow" and lick her foot with the one she had before. I think my Gracie Doodle is going to become a "cement" city dog!!! Or she wears her boots when she goes of roading!!! Keep your fingers crossed that there is NOT another fox tail. Check out the size of this new "cone of shame"!! I took this right after she got out of the car when I brought her home! She looks pretty groggy!

[cheryl & oliver]

Oh my, I am so sorry to hear this news. Gracie looks just like Oliver, and they look to be about the same size too. she does look so sad in that picture, I feel so bad for her...Lets hope that this is the end of this stuff, and that she will heal quickly and lets hope that there are no more, or if there is another one, let it come out without surgery. Can they not see these things on an x-ray, to see where it has traveled?

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Nancie, I am so sorry this is happening to you and Gracie Doodle, and I really hope there is not another one in there. Gracie looks so pitiful in that picture; like she has had about enough of this surgery business. Hugs and kisses from Webber and Seda, her East coast buddies. Webber sends a special hello to his girlfriend

[LG & Sadie]

Sending love to Gracie & Family~

[Christine & Shelby]

Oh no.... poor Graice! That is a mighty big cone! I hope you don't have any more of these foxtail things in your paw. They don't sound fun at all. Wear your cone with pride... you are rocking it! Get better soon!

[Donna K & Quincy]

Oh poor baby! Gracie I hope this is the last of your problems with these horrible Foxtails. This is sure taking the fun out of your summer. That cone sure is big. I wore one of these when I had my trip to the vet for neutering. I kept hooking it in doorways and in the steps while I was trying to walk up the stairs. The good thing was I couldn't move around in my crate with it on so I got to sleep in the bedroom with Mom and Dad. I haven't slept in my crate since. Hope you are feeling lots better soon and no more trips to the vet. Paws crossed. Quincy

[BG and Gavin]

Poor Gracie. Sending healing throught her way. Way too much for one doodle to go through in one week :(

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

OMG! Sounds like something I saw in a Star Trek movie!!! Thanks for sharing all this information. I knew that foxtails were problematic but really had no idea how bad it could be . We will take extra precautions from now on!
Happy Healing Gracie!!

[Camilla and Darwin]

Poor Gracie. Foxtails sound like scary things!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Foxtails are kind of like those "drywall anchors" you use to attach things to your wall...they only go easily in one direction. When you try to pull them out, the barbed ends cause resistance. From Wikipedia:

The spikelets or spikelet clusters of foxtails are adapted for animal dispersal: The foxtails disarticulate easily, the barbs cause the foxtail to cling to fur, and movement of the animal causes the foxtail to burrow into the fur, since the barbs permit it to move only in the direction of the callus. In wild mammals that inhabit the native ranges of foxtail grasses, the fur is ordinarily short enough that the foxtails will eventually become dislodged, dispersing the seed.

Especially in the long-haired dogs and other domestic animals, the foxtails can become irreversibly lodged. Foxtails can also enter the nostrils and ear canals of many mammals. In all these cases, the foxtail can physically enter the body.
Muscular movements (or air flow, in the case of nostrils) can cause the foxtails to continue to burrow through soft tissues and organs, causing infection and physical disruption, which in some cases can result in death.

[ej]

:( Poor Gracie, she has been through so much. We will pray for her full and speedy recovery, no more foxtail, no more pain. Get well soon Gracie Doodle. Sending our hugs and kisses your way. Luv Z, K & their mommy <3