To minimize your furry pal’s pain, you should act quickly your dog’s repeated scratching and chewing at the area can cause the skin to tear and become infected. If you aren’t sure if the rash is from a poisonous plant, it’s probably best to take your dog in for veterinary inspection.Īnyone who’s had a poison ivy reaction knows that it’s uncomfortable and nearly impossible not to scratch. Fleas and other parasites, infections, and allergies can all cause similar skin irritations.
? If you think your dog is having a severe allergic reaction from skin exposure or ingestion, call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline - 85 Other reasons your dog may be itchingĪside from poison ivy, there are several other reasons your dog could be scratching.
If you think your dog has ingested a poisonous plant, keep a close eye out for symptoms of a severe reaction. For this reason, ingestion poses much more of a health risk than skin exposure. It’s possible, however, for dogs to have a severe allergic reaction or even go into anaphylactic shock. Usually, a dog that eats poison ivy will simply have gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, or diarrhea. Skin inflammation (acute contact dermatitis).The symptoms of poison ivy and other poisonous plant exposure are similar in humans and animals. Your dog also may bite, chew or scratch the area excessively, alerting you to the situation. The poisonous urushiol has to make contact with the dog’s skin in order to cause a reaction, so it’s most common to see the irritation appear in areas with less fur and in dogs with very thin fur coats. Since the irritant (urushiol) is the same for poison ivy, oak and sumac, exposure to any of these plants will cause a similar reaction.