nettles

[Steve]

Can dogs get stung by nettles? If so does it hurt them? I ask because theres loads of nettles down the back of our house on the communal passage, and the dog is always running into them and brushing past them, but they dont seem to affect her, even when they hit her nose.

Recently there is also a severe shortage of doc leaves, nature's antedote to nettle stings!

 

[breezer]

some do, some dont. (i just googled)

 

[Thermo]

you build a resistance to them. I dont get affected by them now and get stung a lot, but i used too

 

[bernardgreen]

cattle eat nettles and don't seem to mind.

 

[oompah]

cattle eat nettles and don't seem to mind.

Thats where all the docs have gone the cats wiping its a--e with them after it passes through them.

 

[ricicle]

The nettles will only sting you if you brush against the direction of the sting 'hairs'. If you hold the bottom of a nettle stalk and bring your hand upwards you should not get stung.

Dock leaves are just a myth. By the time you have found one the stinging sensation has normally eased.

 

[Thermo]

theyre not

 

[gcol]

The irritation you get with nettles is from formic acid (like ya gets in ants). The juice from Dock leaves is an alkaline and will reduce the pain/itch from the nettle sting by bringing the pH level back to normal levels.

 

[Steve]

The irritation you get with nettles is from formic acid (like ya gets in ants). The juice from Dock leaves is an alkaline and will reduce the pain/itch from the nettle sting by bringing the pH level back to normal levels.

Like vinegar.

 

[gcol]

No not like vinegar. Vinegar is acidic and so would be useful for alkalinic stings... for example wasp stings.
Or did you mean that nettle sting is like vinegar??

 

[breezer]

i dont know if its true, but if you get stung by a jelly fish, get your mates to wee on it it reduces the swelling

 

[gcol]

Rings a bell breezer but I don't know if wee wee is acidic or alkaline. Still it would give amusement delivering the treatment - now how do I get my boss to get a jelly fish sting on his boat race?????

 

[ricicle]

You treat jellyfish stings with vinegar (Acetic Acid)

 

[Steve]

i dont know if its true, but if you get stung by a jelly fish, get your mates to wee on it it reduces the swelling

stale wee is better. apparently.

and when i was a nipper, i fell into some nettles, screaming blue murder etc, and my grandma put vinegar on the stings IIRC, or is there another more suitable household antedote that anyone can think of?

 

[gcol]

and when i was a nipper, i fell into some nettles, screaming blue murder etc, and my grandma put vinegar on the stings IIRC, or is there another more suitable household antedote that anyone can think of?

Wouldn't have made it any better. Bicarbonate of soda would have though.