An Elgin mum is urging dog walkers to be vigilant after her pet suffered horrendous burns caused by giant hogweed.
Emily Graham’s beloved retriever Murphy ran through the plant – which produces sap that can cause severe chemical burns and even blindness – while out for a walk with her children.
After returning home, the 38-year-old noticed the flat coated retriever had red marks on his nose and stomach, which developed into “horrific burns”.
Mrs Graham, of Thomshill, said: “It was the Easter weekend and the kids took Murphy for a walk. When I got back from work I saw that he had red blisters on his nose.
“We thought it might go away but he started scratching it and he was very quiet so we took him to the vets.
“They recognised it as being caused by giant hogweed and started treating his injuries. He must have run straight through the hogweed as his whole body seemed to have been affected by it.”
Murphy was left in a lot of pain, but is now on the mend and, much to the delight of his family, is “back to his old self”.
Giant hogweed can grow up to 9ft tall, and on this occasion it was at just the right height to burn Murphy.
Mrs Graham said: “I never expected anything like this to happen. He was just out for a normal walk.
“The hogweed must have just been growing. It was the right height for him to be affected by it.
“I’d advise other pet owners to take care when they are near hogweed.”
Innes Community Council last year called for legislation to tackle hogweed after describing the banks of the River Spey as “infested” by the plants.
