My dog is breathing hard and tired. What if he inhaled a foxtail?

Your neighbor could try offering some canned food to see if it helps. A foxtail could be lodged in the back of her throat, and there are reports of foxtails becoming imbedded in all types of tissues and migrating causing major problems, so if the hacking continues for more than an hour or if she vomits/regurgitates or seems to have trouble breathing I would recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian.

If he will allow, check in and around his mouth for more foxtail. Remove them if you can. Check in his ears and between his toes as well. A fine toothed comb and/or tweezers can be used to remove them. Monitor for more vomiting, lethargy, decreased or loss of appetite and abdominal pain. These are all symptoms that warrant an exam with your veterinarian.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Respiratory signs like that can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Cooper evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

This looks like a typical wound from a grassawn/foxtail migration under the skin. It does not look like a hotspot - those are rarely seen between the toes. A cone is always a good idea to prevent licking but if it is a migrating foxtail he may need surgery to find it and remove it. You can try soaking the foot in warm Epsom salt water for 5 minutes three times a day. If the foxtail is not too far under the skin already this may help to draw it out. Do not continue to use peroxide as that is actually toxic to the tissues. Peroxide is only good for an initial injury/dirty wound to clean it and that is it. Continued use is counter productive. A vet visit is probably best in this case.

These are alarming symptoms indeed. For an older dog with coughing and lethargy, my top suspicions would be: heart disease, heartworm disease (if he is not current on heartworm prevention) primary lung cancer, pneumonia or a heart based tumor. He is at risk for all of these based on his breed. I would highly recommend taking him in to your vet for bloodwork analysis and chest radiographs to properly diagnose him based on the many possible causes stated above. Poor guy. He sounds very unstable for now and the quicker you can get him in to a vet the better. I hope that this is something you can treat for, but the odds of it being something major are high in an older large breed dog. I send you all my best in getting Casper well again. Take care and best wishes.

This could be a sign of many things including an infectious diseases (Kennel cough), a foxtail or grass awn caught in the throat or it could be a normal reverse sneeze. Your veterinarian will be able to examine Luna's throat to see if there is something stuck in there or test her for an infection. She will also be able to prescribe appropriate treatment or medications.

I'm sorry Lucky is having issues! If Lucky is having a hard time breathing this is a medical emergency and he needs to be examined by a veterinarian immediately. Difficultly breathing can indicated fluid build up, lung disease, or heart disease so it's critical that Lucky be examined right away. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck to Lucky!