Warning about poisonous plant after dog suffers horrific facial burns

A dog owner has issued a warning after his beloved pet suffered horrific facial burns from a poisonous plant.

Four-year-old flat-coated retriever Winston was left with painful wounds on his nose and left eye after sniffing around a suspected giant hogweed plant while on a walk in Essex last month.

Owner Barry O'Connell, 75, has urged pet owners and parents to stay away from the plant, which is widespread across the UK.

Winston, an assistance dog for Barry, has since been given antibiotics and wearing a cone around his head to aid his recovery.

Read more: What should you do if you find giant hogweed?

Barry, a former military dog ​​handler from Clacton, Essex, said: “Watching him is like watching a Rolls Royce break down.”

“We live in a popular coastal area. Imagine letting your dog or your kids out and then they come across something like this and it's game over.

“I just can't understand why there are no warning signs. Not to scare people, but to educate them.”

Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a common plant similar to cow parsley that often grows along hedgerows in the UK.

The noxious weed's harmful sap can have devastating effects when it comes into contact with dogs and humans: causing blindness, painful burns, blisters and life-changing scars.

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Giant hogweed can grow up to 4.5 meters tall and has hollow stems with a diameter of five to ten centimeters.

The leaves are typically about a meter wide and have a unique vein pattern.

Hot weather is creating ideal conditions for the growth of hogweed across the UK.

Its homeland is the Caucasus, a region that stretches across the borders of Europe and Asia.

The Woodland Trust charity advises avoiding physical contact with the plant if possible.