Poison ivy and dogs on Cape Ann trails

The state's natural heritage program describes coastal forest and woodland, the sheltered, mostly oak woods that grow behind dunes and on slopes facing away from the ocean, and notes that poison ivy, Virginia creeper, grape and greenbriers can be locally abundant on its edges and in its openings. The Whole Dog Journal adds that the plant likes dense woods and fields alike and seems to thrive along beaches, so the sandy path through the dunes is as likely a place to meet it as any inland trail.

Cape Ann has a great deal of that ground: the edges of the paths on Dogtown Common, the clearings at Ravenswood, the brushy strips between parking lots and sand. We name no single trail, because plants spread and get cleared, but the pattern holds. The plant grows as a vine up trees, as an upright shrub or low along the ground, with three leaflets every time. It is bright green through the growing season and turns red in the fall, when, the journal warns, it can still cause a rash.

Speed helps. The Whole Dog Journal's advice for a known exposure is a quick bath, and the CDC's first aid for people starts with rinsing skin right away, using dishwashing soap or a plant wash and plenty of water, and rinsing often so the wash does not dry on the skin and spread the oil around. Gloves come first in both cases, because the person doing the washing is the one at risk, and a dog that shakes off mid-bath spreads the oil onto everything in range.

Do the gear the same day. The CDC says to wash exposed clothing separately in hot water with detergent and to clean tools with rubbing alcohol or soap and lots of water, so a leather leash and the inside of the car get the soap-and-water treatment. Its five-year figure for urushiol on surfaces is the reason not to wait for the oil to wear off a leash that hangs by the door.

A dog that chews or eats poison ivy may get an upset stomach with vomiting or diarrhea, which the Whole Dog Journal says is usually mild and passes without treatment. It does not recommend making the dog vomit, since that can bring more oil into contact with sensitive tissue. Call your vet if your dog ate a quantity, if the stomach trouble lasts, or if a rash appears on the belly, groin or another thin-coated spot. For any plant you cannot identify, ASPCA Animal Poison Control is at (888) 426-4435, and a fee may apply.

Trouble breathing, a swelling face or a collapse after time in the brush is an emergency for any dog: call your vet or go to the nearest emergency hospital now. For yourself, the CDC says to get medical help in severe cases or when the rash is on the face or genitals, and to call 911 for swelling or difficulty breathing, or if you have reacted badly to these plants before.