A Border Collie has been left with painful burns after he brushed against a dangerous giant Hogweed.
Distraught dog owners Anita Taylor, 56, and husband Mick have issued a warning after they were forced to rush their pup Max to the vets for treatment.
The five-year-old pooch was attached to his lead when he walked past the toxic plant near their home.
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The next day, NHS worker Anita and retired production manager Mick, 59, noticed angry burns on Max’s face.
“We were worried sick that we were going to lose him,” Anita, from Cannock, Staffs, told Need to Know.
“At first, we thought he’d been scratched by a cat.
“The next day, it got bigger and he was really not well at all.
“It was rotting away to the bone.
“It had doubled his size across his face and you could see he was in pain and wasn’t himself but he rarely cries, he’s hard as nails.
“It was an open ulcer and it got bigger every day.
“We got an emergency vet appointment and they said it was a giant Hogweed burn.
“If we’d left it, we wouldn’t have a dog, so the vet said it was good we went when we did.
“It was heartbreaking.
“We didn’t know what would happen and we don’t know if it will scar.”
Max was given antibiotics and painkillers.
According to Woodlands Trust, the sap of giant hogweed can cause burns and make skin extremely sensitive to sunlight.
If the sap gets onto skin and it is then exposed to the sun, skin can blister badly.
