Check out these pictures and make sure you know what to look for.
You're all set for your vacation, hiking trip, or off to your local dog park. But are you really ready?
Have you thought about what you'll do if your dog gets into something like poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac? Dogs can get into this innocent-looking plant pretty much anywhere. And if you head out to hike some trails or even over to the big dog park near home, you could run into this inhospitable plant. In most cases, if you're hiking or in the park, the trail itself will be fairly well maintained, so unless the poison oil actually leaps off the plant onto your body, you should be safe — if, of course, you know what poison ivy/oak/sumac looks like. And most dog parks and other dog-safe areas at least try to contain or remove any of these plants they find. (Poison sumac is more rare than ivy or oak, but still a problem.) But without constant vigilance, these poison plants can creep into any place, even your own backyard!
And your dogs, or at least my dogs, don't believe in staying on paths and trails. Wherever their noses go, they usually enthusiastically follow, so they are much more likely to get into the poison stuff in their wanderings. And that's where the problems arise. Dogs, cats (and horses, and other furry pets) can become contaminated by urushiol oil (the oil in poison ivy, oak, and sumac that causes the rash and itching) and can transfer that poison oil to owners without being affected themselves.
So even if you work to keep yourself safe and on the trail, your dog may brush past the plant and rub against you. Then you have a very itchy problem. Now, assuming that you are not prepared to give up hiking and your dogs are not prepared to give up playing games of chase in places where poison oak/ivy/sumac make their home, I suggest you never hike or camp without carrying Tecnu Original Outdoor Skin Cleanser. Tecnu is a cleanser that can be used on just about anything — including pets.
To remove the oil from your pet, saturate a cloth with Tecnu and wipe down your pet's coat. Then follow with a pet shampoo and water bath. IMPORTANT: DO NOT LEAVE TECNU ON FUR. IT MUST BE COMPLETELY WASHED OFF WITH SHAMPOO AND WATER. Tecnu is also safe for use on human skin. When used within 2–8 hours after exposure to the plants, Tecnu can remove urushiol oil before the rash begins. Once the rash has started, washing with Tecnu helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible re-contamination.
So grab your dog (and your Tecnu) and head off to the park or hiking trail. Its great fun for your and your dog and healthy too, especially if you're prepared!
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