However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Clean and treat the area promptly. Itching. Stinging nettle, in most areas, is a native perennial, and a sign of what is called in ecology as "succession" where forb plants are growing in Nature's attempt to cover exposed soil. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. First Aid for Insect Stings in Cats. Why do nettle stings hurt for so long? To avoid the nettle sting, we just wear long sleeves and gloves when we are handling fresh nettle plants. But a fresh nettle leaf garnish would hurt. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If your cat has multiple stings or bites, a soothing oatmeal bath is the way to go. She has worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world, including The Ritz-Carlton and The French Laundry. This species, along with its subspecies, is distributed all over the world, from Africa to Europe and in North and South America. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. How do I know if my cat has had an allergic reaction to a toxic plant? Male flowers are typically greenish-yellow, with 4 sepals and 4 stamens. Are these okay for cats to eat? The stinging hairs act a lot like a hypodermic needle when your skin brushes against them. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Their fur can indeed protect to some extent. Look at the stems. A sting near the eye can be treated with a simple, cold compress. westwales . Add some stinging nettle extract to your cats canned food or water to help relieve congestion and sneezing. Some of these hairs, called trisomes, have the ability to break their tips when handled. Dogs with a thick double-coat of fur might be slightly more protected from stinging nettles, since their top coat is meant to protect their skin from being hurt by thorns and brambles. This causes erythema (redness), swelling, and intense itching. As your blisters ooze or burst, they will begin to dry out. . This article has been viewed 177,887 times. Stinging nettles grow in colonies, typically in the moist, mineral-rich soil of uncultivated areas -- not gardens. But putting on gloves takes care of the harvesting problem. To create this article, 21 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. When ingested, stinging nettle can result in profuse salivation, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, labored breathing, muscle fasciculations (twitching) and ataxia. Occasional side effects include mild stomach upset, fluid retention, sweating, diarrhea, and hives or rash (mainly from topical use). Typically, a dog will run by the nettle, and the hair tips theyre angled and hollowed will catch on to your dog, entering your pups skin and breaking upon contact. Horses don't usually eat stinging nettle, but if they lie down or roll on the plant, glassy hairs from the plant's leaves and stems cause a skin reaction characterized by wheals or hives and an intensely painful stinging sensation that may last 24 hours or more. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Stinging nettle may cause: Low blood pressure. "The article on stinging nettles was very helpful. If your cat is stung by a bee or wasp they are most likely to suffer from a swollen paw or face, which are the most common places for cats to be stung. A rash that includes redness, itching, and inflammation may persist since the skin has been injured from the direct contact from the stinging nettle plant. The tall plants, anywhere from 10 to 20 feet high, produce small whitish-green . The content of this page is not veterinary advice. When ingested, stinging nettle can result in profuse salivation, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, labored breathing, muscle fasciculations (twitching) and ataxia. The plant itself tends to be a little darker green than stinging nettle. This species is an annual that grows from seed spread from pre-existing hemp nettles, or deposited by animals, and human activity. Once the stinger is removed, keep a close eye on your kitty to watch for signs of a severe reaction. Does vinegar help nettle stings? There is also some branching on each flowering stem. More On The Sting-less Nettle. Nettle stings can cause severe irritation to our pets and sometimes the pet will not put their weight through the affected feet to avoid the pain. The lower leaves have a reddish color to their stems. The irritation and rash are usually short lived and do not cause an ongoing rash like poison ivy does. Hemp nettle has been deemed a noxious weed in some parts of North America. This can be done wearing gloves to ensure you don't get stung. 5 drops for cats and small dogs. The toothed leaves are borne oppositely along the stem, and both the stems and leaves are covered with numerous stinging and non-stinging trichomes (plant hairs). We use cookies for our legitimate interests of providing you with personalized content, enabling you to more easily use our website, evaluating use of our website, and assisting with ad reporting functions. Stinging nettles can cause a rash and other symptoms if people touch them. Stinging nettle If touched, these needle-like hairs inject the stinging acid into the skin, triggering a burning, tingling sensation and an itchy rash. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. . . Fen nettle ( Urtica galeopsifolia) is found in a confusingly variable set of environments in England. If your cat is stung by a bee or wasp they are most likely to suffer from a swollen paw or face, which are the most common places for cats to be stung. 8 Common Weeds Your Chickens Will Love. Your doctor may prescribe a topical antibiotic cream or ointment, or may want you take a course of oral antibiotics. Call your doctor right away if you experience these symptoms or if you have a fever. Again, this would be a time to use an antihistamine recommended by your vet. The toxic effects of insect venom can also kill large amounts of eye cells, leading to temporary, or in some cases, permanent partial or complete vision loss. his ankles and calves). Can dogs get stung by nettles on their nose? The reason for this is that stinging nettles contain fine hairs and chemicals that irritate human skin. Nettle stings can cause severe irritation to our pets and sometimes the pet will not put their weight through the affected feet to avoid the pain. Stinging nettles have tiny, fuzzy-like white flowers. When your body is allergic to something, it produces more histamines causing allergic symptoms like. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. You can either make a thick baking soda paste by mixing baking soda with water. The following stinging nettle dosage is recommended for most inidvduals. What are some examples of how providers can receive incentives? Nettle, also known as Urtica dioica or stinging nettle, is a plant that has many nutritive values. 6 What should I do if my cat got stung by an insect? Because its rich in nitrogen, this is particularly useful for leafy vegetables like kale, chard and spinach. Also known as heartleaf nettle, this plant is notorious for causing a burning sensation when it makes contact with bare skin. Continue to apply treatments as long as the area is uncomfortable. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. For cut or torn foot pads and broken nails, control the bleeding and treat as described in the articles First Aid for Torn Foot Pads and First Aid for Broken Nails. The rash resembles nettles. 7 - Fights allergy symptoms. It does not store any personal data. Purslane is usually found growing out of . Crush the nettles. Remove the stinger, if it is still in place. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The plant grows in height from 20 inches (50.8cm) to about 50 inches, and the leaves grow to be about 16 inches (41cm) long. The stinging sensation can last from half an hour to a few days, depending on the sensitivity of your skin. Until it gets stung , might not be so keen on it then. But then , now so are you. We assume the concentration of cystoliths continues to increase from time of flowering through end of summer, so the later, the worse for tea. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. Also keep nails short. If I touch someone else, or they touch my rash, will they get a rash too? If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Stinging Nettle is a perennial herb growing nearly worldwide. Cooked stinging nettles can be used in place of cooked spinach in many recipes. You usually find nettles growing on the edge of woodlands. When ingested, stinging nettle can result in profuse salivation, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, labored breathing, muscle fasciculations (twitching) and ataxia. Stinging nettles can cause a rash and other symptoms if people touch them. Flowers of clearweed are in narrow racemes that are shorter than stinging nettle, at only about 1 inch (2.5cm) long. People also use it in herbal and. These cookies do not store any personal information. Because nettles grow very easily, there are many different varieties. Apply an ice pack to the affected area for 10 minutes to reduce swelling. However, this plant is often also seen as a noxious weed that dominates disturbed areas in or near forests, or in clearings with moist, fertile soil. Soothe the bite site. The stinging nettle, with it's jagged leaves, is an incredibly important plant for dozens of species of insects, including some of our most loved butterflies species. But, it is not their shield from the stings of the nettles or other thorny plants. The leaves and stems of this plant are covered in fine, tiny hairs. Ratings: +83,410. Blanching the leaves briefly in boiling water will also remove the stingers. It may also encourage bleeding and cause uterine contraction. RosemaryDW said: Stinging nettles are fine to feed. Stinging nettle grows in disturbed areas, wooded areas, and occasionally open grasslands, provided the soil is moist for seed establishment. The stinging nettles don't do much to deter predators on our land. Northern Bugleweed is non-stinging, and belongs in the mint family (Family. Some stinging nettle subspecies may have green stems, whereas other subspecies may have purple stems. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A rash that extends beyond the exposed area, and can be all over the body. % of people told us that this article helped them. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Each hair is like a hollow needle filled with formic acid, the same chemical in ant saliva that causes pain to humans when bitten. If the stinger is still in the wound, it should be removed right away. Self-care for nettle stings The leaves, stems, and roots have been used for food, medicine, cordage, and dye for millennia. Left some stinging nettles out on the counter for dinner prep and found my cat in there eating them. "My husband walked through some nettles while we were in the Greek Islands in 2012 and got the rash from it (only on. The plant can spread vegetatively with its yellow creeping rhizomes and often forms dense colonies. Stinging caterpillars, and stinging or poisonous insects in general, often sport bright colors and strange shapes. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Nettles not only boost your pets immune system, but theyre also natural diuretics that help your cat and dog get rid of waste from the body and are great a natural remedy for those pets that often suffer from allergies. The high vitamin C content of the nettle extract helps the body absorb the quercetin, and they work together to bring down inflammation and support the immune system, among other benefits, listed above. The coolness of the product will have a soothing effect, and the active properties of the cream or ointment can help prevent infection. Although the animals will not eat the plants when they are living, after the nettles are cut and dried they are a great fodder. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. A tight feeling in your chest that makes it hard to breathe. When the hair tip pierces the skin, the acid makes it into the skin causing anywhere from an annoying . . Urtica dioica is ubiquitous here and the odd sting is to be expected on any country footpath. This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Chemicals flow through the hollow tubes and cause a nasty stinging sensation and a rash. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. If your dog eats stinging nettles, it's likely they'll have some discomfort and mild gastrointestinal illness. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Fireweed (Urtica chamaedryoides), may not be a pasture weed that causes great economic losses from competition, but it can cause distress to people who come in contact with it in their pastures or around the farm. Calamine or Caladryl lotion can help to provide a soothing feeling and help to reduce the itching and burning. One of the most toxic and deadliest caterpillars is the Giant Silkworm moth or South American Caterpillar ( Lonomia obliqua ). In severe cases, immediate surgery is required in order to drain excess fluids from an affected eyeball. It may be of interest to note that not all species of stinging nettle have literal stinging properties. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Enjoy! For tips from our Medical co-author on how to tell when you should seek medical attention for a nettle sting, read on! Remedies for this sting include a plant that often grows next to it called jewelweed. 5 Do I need to take my cat to the vet for a bee sting? Common signs to watch for: Erythema (redness) Swelling Intense itching Drooling Pawing at the mouth Vomiting Labored breathing Muscle fasciculations (twitching) Incoordination (ataxia) (You can unsubscribe anytime). The plant has been shown to cleanse the body of metabolic waste and increase production of red blood cells. Though rare, bee stings do happen near or in the eye. What should I do if my cat got stung by an insect? After 10 minutes, wash your skin with soap and warm water or a clean cloth. If your cat has multiple stings or bites, a soothing oatmeal bath is the way to go. To treat a sting from a stinging nettle, try not to touch the affected area so you don't rub the chemicals released by the plant further into your skin. Expect stinging nettle to grow in most areas that are fairly moist. It is a member of the Urticaceae family, which includes as many as 500 species worldwide. Even if she appears to have a mild, localized reaction, you should still call your vet right away. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f6\/Treat-a-Sting-from-a-Stinging-Nettle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Treat-a-Sting-from-a-Stinging-Nettle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f6\/Treat-a-Sting-from-a-Stinging-Nettle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid7822-v4-728px-Treat-a-Sting-from-a-Stinging-Nettle-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"