Dog owners are being alerted to the potential dangers of rapeseed plants when walking this spring and summer. The golden fields are a common sight in many parts of the country at this time of year, but the colourful plants can be bad news for our canine companions.
Rapeseed appears on a nine-page Dogs Trust list of poisonous plants found online, but it does not appear on various canine organisations’ guides to springtime dangers. DevonLive went to Dogs Trust to clarify how dangerous the plant is to our pets.
A spokesperson for Dogs Trust said: “Our vet team have confirmed that many dogs may remain asymptomatic after coming into contact with rapeseed. However, if they ingest some, then they can develop gastrointestinal signs (vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal tenderness etc). Generally, these are mild in nature.
“There have also been reports about skin burns that rapeseed may cause. This cutaneous reaction appears to occur when a dog runs through fields of rapeseed and can be severe but does not happen to every dog and is fortunately very rare.
“Although some of the signs can occur, they are not common and owners should not be unduly alarmed. However, if any dog owners are concerned about their dogs being in contact with or ingesting rapeseed, they should contact their vet.”
Given the fact there is a possibility of a reaction, it makes sense to avoid taking your dog into a rapeseed field. However, if this is unavoidable, try not to worry too much – keep a cautious eye on your dog and contact your vet if you have any concerns.
