Hogweed!

[JFD]

Hi,

Has anyone had experience with this nasty plant? My vet strongly suspects that my cocker Max has come into contact with it last Wednesday, it started with his face ears, eyes and snout swelling and now blisters are starting to develop a few days later.

He is on steroids and antibiotics for six days and I have been warned the blisters may get worse. The swelling went down almost immediately after the steroid injection but the blistering has now started (vet said this is to be expected).

My concern is that this could cause ongoing reactions to sunlight even when healed as the toxin creates hypersensitivity to UV light. Has anyone had experience of this and do you have any tips/advice for managing it if it does cause an ongoing problem?

For info he came into contact with it in a park in London (Victoria Park East London) by the lake so BEWARE anyone that walks your dogs there I am now back in Winchester so cant go down to the park to actually check if it definitely was Hogweed but as I say according to the vet the symptoms Max has suggest this could be the case.

Any advice or tips GREATLY appreciated

Jo

[MIN]

www.pawsdogdaycare.com/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/giant-hogweed

have a look here

sending a  to Max. 
is he a pup or adult

[bizzylizzy]

Good heavens, - I had heard of it, its becoming a growing problem here in Germany but I didn't really think of it as being relevant in the winter. Thanks for the warning anyway, I'm sorry not be able offer any advice  but I wish your poor dog a fast and permanent recovery.!!
Welcome to the forum by the way! - Do please keep us posted!

[JFD]

Thank you for your posts much appreciated! I certainly will keep you posted, its a bit early to tell if he will have any issues going forward as we are all a bit short on UV rays at the moment.

In answer to your question he is 5 and half and the blistering isn't too bad at the moment certainly not as bad a some i've seen on the internet (when i'm brave enough to look that is!) so i'm keeping everything crossed

Speak soon! x

[Countrygirl]

I know someone who came into contact with this whilst strumming.  Her neck and chest were covered in black blotches which took months to go.  She was told it is alright if you leave it alone, it is when you disturb it that causes problems.

[phoenix]

Hi,  has this settled down now?  Did you need another vet visit in Winchester?    I'm confused at the vet suggesting giant hogweed, because we have them in our wood, and inNovember and December, the plants are dead  and the sun not out.    Usually it needs contact with bare skin., which the nose obviously is. Maybe dead plant is just as nasty.      The other thought the vet probably had was discoid lupus.     
When I worked near Vicky Park many years ago,  it was no go  for anything after about 3pm. I hope gentrification has made it safer!   If reported , the authorities will remove giant hogweed from public areas.

[Jaysmumagain]

I am also with Phoenix on this....it has the look of cow parsley and this dies right back in the hedges and woodlands autumn and dies off, unless this mild winter has kept it going, still poor Max hope he is improving,

[Markr64]

I am just sending Max some healing thoughts, such a nasty thing to happen.

[James+Carly]

Hope little Max is on the mend - sending Him lots of slobbery cocker kisses 😘

[JFD]

Hi everyone,

Belated Happy New year to you all and your 4 legged companions 

Thank you Phoenix for your post, I can report that Max had been left with a horrid pink raw looking scar that and some minor bleeding to it in the cold snap. the scar didn't develop until after Christmas and I started applying pure vitamin e oil to it and that seemed to be doing a very nice job until 3 days ago a big hard lump came up which now comes and goes, I hadn't considered discoid Lupus (I didn't know about it and the vet didn't mention it specifically) his nose does not seen to have been affected by whatever it was and the scarring is on one side of his snout only.

Ive booked Max in with a Holistic vet in Petersfield tomorrow armed with lots of questions and I will discuss Discoid Lupus with her as I am also with you regarding the Hogweed being as potent in the middle of December! Also Max's initial symptoms of face ears and eye swelling doesn't seem to tie in with other reports of Hogweed Burns as the blistering seems to occur pretty rapidly and this wasn't the case with Max.

Will keep you all posted, thanks again for you posts

Jo x