Hot weather dog warning as deadly plant leaves pet with ‘weeping blisters’ after walk
DOG owners have been warned of a deadly plant that can leave pets with horror burns.
Sue Earley was walking her chihuahua-pug cross in Hampshire when it brushed past the dreaded giant hogweed.
When Peanut then developed a lump on her nose, Sue initially put it down to a bee sting, but it soon morphed into angry red blisters.
Mrs Earley said: “It became obvious a while after we got home – probably about 30 minutes later.
“She came in from the garden with a lump on her nose.
“I thought at first she’d been stung by a bee or wasp. There were no signs apart from the lump – it was perfectly normal.
“I gave the lump a wash, which I think probably helped as it washed the sap off.
“But the lump gradually got bigger over the course of the day, and by the next morning she had weeping blisters that looked red and sore.”
Giant hogweed carries a sap that stops the skin protecting itself against the sun’s rays, causing gruesome burns when exposed to natural light.
What’s more, it often causes no immediate pain, meaning its victims can continue to burn in the sun without realising.
It scorches people every year – including children – but man’s best friend is at risk too.
The plant can spread its sap with only a moment’s exposure.
Sue said: “She could have only been exposed for a second or two, but that’s all it takes.
“It is growing very tall where people walk their dogs. It had been trodden on, which releases the sap.”
Peanut, who was adopted from Hungary Hearts Dog Rescue, was taken to an emergency vet on Sunday – the day after exposure.
She was given a steroid injection and antibiotic tablets, and thanks to Sue’s quick action, she’s on the road to recovery already.
But now the retiree wants to warn others about the hated plant.
She said: “Most people don’t know about giant hogweed – it looks like a big cow parsley, which is harmless.
“If you’re not sure, stay away and check your dogs over regularly – if it hadn’t been on her nose, I wouldn’t have seen it for ages.
“I sincerely hope this information will stop any other human or dog coming into contact with giant hogweed.”
The giant hogweed is native to the Caucasus, but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread has now got out of control.
It was called “without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain” by Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust in 2015.
How giant hogweed works and how to treat it
The sap of giant hogweed can cause burns.
Its sap contains furocoumarin, a chemical compound that makes the skin extremely sensitive to sunlight.
It means the skin can get burnt and blister when exposed to the sun.
If you brush through hogweed and cop the menacing plant’s sap, it is recommended to thoroughly wash the skin immediately.
Seek medical attention and avoid sunlight for several days.