Ellie's Giant Hogweed Story Has Gone National

You may remember our blog about Ellie's traumatic time, after being exposed to Giant Hogweed sap. Her story has caused quite a stir and has now been picked up by one of the national papersl!

Click here to see some of the articles.

Ellie the Great Dane came to see us recently after suffering severe burns on her nose from contact with Giant Hogweed sap. Her owner sent us these photos of her burns, as she would like to warn other dog owners about the danger from this plant.

Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a close relative to cow parsley, with white flowers and thick bristly stems that are often purple-blotched. It can reach over 3m (10ft) in height and the flower heads can be as large as 60cm (2ft) across.

Chemicals in the sap can cause photodermatitis or photosensitivity, where the skin becomes very sensitive to sunlight and may suffer blistering, pigmentation and long-lasting scars.

Posted 17th July 2015