Most dogs never react to poison ivy. Their fur keeps the plant's oil off their skin, so a dog can crash through a patch of it and come out fine. The catch is that the oil stays on the coat, and the next person who pets that dog can end up with the rash.
Dogs can still react where the hair is thin, like the belly and groin, and eating the plant can upset the stomach. If your dog has been in poison ivy, put on gloves, give a bath with dog shampoo, and wash the collar, leash and anything else the coat touched.
Can I get poison ivy from my dog?
Yes. The FDA says most pets are not sensitive to poison ivy, but the oil can stick to their fur and cause a reaction in someone who pets them. The ASPCA warns about the same thing. The oil comes off on your hands when you pet the dog, on your arms and legs when the dog leans on you, and from muddy paws on the couch.
The oil is called urushiol, and it is stubborn. The FDA notes that it lingers, sometimes for years, on almost any surface until it is washed off, and the CDC says it can stay active on objects for up to 5 years. That is why the collar, leash and car seat matter as much as the dog.
A few things that surprise people:
- The rash itself isn't contagious. Fluid from the blisters is not plant oil and can't spread the rash.
- New spots don't mean it is spreading. In people, oil soaks in at different rates on different parts of the body, or you touched something that still has oil on it.
- Your own rash is a question for your doctor, especially if it is near your eyes or mouth, covers a large area, or you have trouble breathing.
What poison ivy looks like
"Leaves of three, let it be" still works. Each poison ivy leaf has three leaflets on one small stem. The details that help you spot it:
- The leaflets are glossy, with smooth or toothed edges. They are not always jagged.
- The color changes through the year: reddish in spring, green in summer, yellow, orange or red in fall.
- It can be a low plant along the ground, a small shrub, or a vine climbing trees and poles. Older vines look hairy and ropelike.
- It may have small greenish-white flowers and whitish-yellow berries.
- It grows almost everywhere in the US except Alaska, Hawaii and parts of the West Coast, in woods, fields, trail edges and backyards.
Its relatives cause the same rash. Poison oak has fuzzy, lobed leaflets, also in threes. Poison sumac breaks the rule: it grows as a tall shrub or small tree in bogs and swamps and has 7 to 13 leaflets per leaf.
Can dogs get poison ivy?
They can, but it is rare. A veterinarian writing for PetMD calls poison ivy rashes "very rare in dogs", even though they are common in people. The fur is the reason: it stops most of the oil before it reaches the skin.
The ASPCA lists poison ivy as non-toxic to dogs, and the Pet Poison Helpline calls it only mildly toxic despite the name. What causes trouble is the oil. Urushiol is an allergen, and the rash it causes is allergic contact dermatitis, an immune reaction that shows up only where the oil touched bare skin. You can read more about how this kind of reaction works in our post on allergic dermatitis in dogs.
Where dogs react
The Pet Poison Helpline says skin irritation is more likely on areas without much hair. On most dogs that means:
- the belly, groin and other thinly haired areas, which brush the plants as the dog walks through
- more of the body in hairless and very thin-coated breeds, such as the Chinese Crested and the Xoloitzcuintli
Symptoms of poison ivy on dogs
When a dog does react, it looks a lot like it does on people:
- red skin or a red, bumpy rash
- swelling
- blisters, which can break and scab
- itching, with scratching, chewing or licking at the spot
Scratching and licking can break the skin open, and inflamed skin commonly picks up a secondary bacterial or yeast infection, which needs your vet.
Keep in mind that many itchy red rashes in dogs are not poison ivy. Fleas, other allergies and skin infections can look the same, so a rash you didn't watch happen deserves a vet's eye. Our guide to the most common dog skin problems, with pictures, shows how varied they look.
What if my dog eats poison ivy?
Most dogs that chew or eat poison ivy get an upset stomach. The Pet Poison Helpline lists GI upset as the main effect, and veterinarians describe vomiting, drooling and diarrhea. Licking the oil off the coat can irritate the mouth too.
Rarely, a dog has a bigger allergic reaction, with swelling in the mouth or throat. That swelling can block the airway and make breathing hard, and that is an emergency.
If your dog ate a plant you can't identify, call your vet. If they are closed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.
My dog walked through poison ivy: what to do
Don't wait for a rash. The goal is to get the oil off the coat before it reaches the dog's thin skin, or yours. The FDA's advice is short: wash your pet with pet shampoo and water while wearing rubber gloves.
- Protect yourself first. Put on rubber or dishwashing gloves and long sleeves before you touch the coat.
- Wipe the coat down. A quick dry wipe with an old towel takes off some of the oil before the bath.
- Bathe your dog with a regular dog shampoo. Work the lather through the whole coat, paying attention to the belly, legs and paws. Keep shampoo out of the eyes and mouth, and rinse well. If your dog has sensitive skin, ask your vet which shampoo to use.
- Wash everything the coat touched. Collar, leash, harness, dog bed, blankets and the towels you used, in hot water with a grease-cutting detergent.
- Wash yourself. Take off the gloves carefully, wash your hands and arms with soap and water, and wash the clothes you wore.
- Watch the thin skin. Keep an eye on the belly, groin and other thinly haired areas. If a rash appears, call your vet.
Skip the home remedies
You will find plenty of creams, lotions and kitchen remedies suggested online. Skip them unless your vet says otherwise:
- Human anti-itch creams and lotions. Dogs lick them off. One veterinarian quoted by MetLife Pet Insurance points out that calamine lotion, a standard poison ivy treatment for people, is toxic to dogs if swallowed.
- Plant leaves, aloe, food and other home remedies on the skin. Anything you put on the skin gets licked, and none of it replaces the bath.
- Human allergy pills. Your vet decides whether your dog needs anti-itch medicine and which one.
What helps is the bath and the washing above. If your dog does get a rash, your vet can find the cause, treat the itch, and treat any infection, for example with antibiotics if the skin is infected.
When to call your vet
Call now (emergency):
- trouble breathing
- swelling of the mouth or throat
See your vet soon:
- a red, bumpy or blistered rash, or open, scabbed or oozing skin
- constant scratching, chewing or licking at one spot
- vomiting, drooling or diarrhea after eating a plant
- your dog ate a plant you can't identify (call your vet or a poison control line)
Mention at your next visit:
- your dog was in poison ivy, you bathed them, and no rash or other signs appeared
How to keep your dog away from poison ivy
- Learn the plant (see above) and walk your dog on a leash where it grows.
- Stick to cleared paths on hikes instead of dense undergrowth.
- Wipe the feet and belly after walks in woods and fields.
- Bathe your dog whenever you know they have been in it.
- Clear it from your yard safely. Wear gloves, long sleeves and pants tucked into boots, and wash your tools and gloves afterward. Never burn poison ivy: the smoke carries the allergen and can irritate the lungs. Many weed killers can harm dogs, so keep your dog away from treated areas and follow the product label, or hire a professional.
For the garden plants that really are toxic to dogs, see our list of yard plants poisonous to dogs.
Quick answers
Is poison ivy toxic to dogs?
The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to dogs. The oil causes an allergic skin rash in some dogs, and eating the plant can cause stomach upset.
Can cats get poison ivy?
The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats too, and the same fur protection applies. Cats can still carry the oil on their coat to you.
Is poison ivy on dogs contagious?
No. Blister fluid carries no plant oil, so the rash itself can't spread. The oil left on the coat can still reach you, which is why the bath and the gloves matter.
Can I put calamine or hydrocortisone cream on my dog's rash?
Not without your vet's advice. Dogs lick creams off, and calamine is toxic if swallowed. Your vet can choose a treatment that is safe for dogs.
Originally written by Diana Wells. Updated by the I Love Veterinary editorial team.
Sources
- Pet Poison Helpline: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Poison Ivy
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Other Poisonous Plants
- CDC NIOSH: Poisonous Plants
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Dermatitis and Dermatologic Problems in Dogs
- Veterinary Dermatology: Contact dermatitis, a comparative and translational review of the literature
- PetMD: Can Dogs Get Poison Ivy?
- American Kennel Club: Can Dogs Get Poison Ivy?
- MetLife Pet Insurance: Can Dogs Get Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac?
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.
