GSD eating Stinging Nettles - Page 1

Anyone have a GSD who likes eating stinging nettles?  Our 3.5 year old female started grazing on them last week in my field and last night our 2 year old started!  No apparent ill effects - although Xambi did throw up this morning - just a little bile.  Never seen this before in all my 40 years with a GSD.

I don't know what stinging nettles are, my GSD likes to eat bees, hornets, flies, anything he can chase and there are more bugs than  anything else within his reach (he has gotten a few baby birds also).  I can't understand how he eats bees, the BIG bumblebees no less!  Doesn't seem to bother him in the least, maybe he has a secret way of swallowing them "stinger first" so he doesn't get stung, LOL.

Stinging nettles are the common or garden variety of nettles found in Europe - they have leaves which sting humans if they even touch them lightly (I know this from bitter experience having come off my bike and falling into a bed of nettles - ouch!!!!!!!!)

Eww, that does sound painful!  Thankfully we don't have those here, the only kind of stinging nettles I'm familiar with are a type of jellyfish and it didn't sound like you were at the ocean, LOL.  But it must not be bothering them because if they sting on contact I would think as soon as they hit the tongue it would hurt!  Evidently they don't feel it for some reason.  I'd ask my Vet if there could be any ill effects just to be on the safe side.  The only type of vegetation I've had problems with are wild mushrooms, my last GSD ate them when he was a puppy ($200.00 trip to the Vet to have his stomach pumped, meds, etc.) but I found out they were not a poisonous variety, still it was a little nerve racking as bad ones can cause permanent liver damage.  I was really careful once he had a taste for them. 

We have them here,  I had heard when I was younger that if you could find a way to handle them without being stung that they are quite edible....  But I never tried.  

I would however check the toxin level before allowing the dogs to continue this behavior,  things that are not toxic to us, grapes, onions...  are in deed toxic to our dogs,  I do not know about nettles but I would be finding out in a hurry.

actually stinging nettles are an herb.  google them.  they have many medicinal properties.  they are not poisonous, however, i would not encourage a dog to eat them.  that tells me the dog's diet is lacking something.

pjp

Some dogs are just wierd like that.  Had one years ago that loved to chase porcupines.  Didn't matter that he would come in every couple of weeks with his nose, mouth, and tongue full of quills, he would go right back out and do it again.

MY dogs do not eat nettles raw but they do eat nettles which are included in a food supplement I give them ie Keepers Mix from Dorwest Herbs; it contains: Powdered Kelp Seaweed, Celery Seeds, Alfalfa, Nettle, Rosemary, Psyllium Husks, Clivers and Wild Yam Root.

Hilton Herbs also do a mix called NR Daily Health Herbal Mix which is one of the Juliette de Bairacli Levy range of products. Use for the maintenance of vitality, healthy appetite and general wellbeing in dogs and cats. Contains Nettle, Garlic, Cleavers, Hops, Couch Grass, Vervain, Mugwort and Sage

and another one:

NR Seaweed Mineral Food A natural multi-vitamin/mineral supplement for the promotion of prime health in all dogs and cats, and particularly for pregnant females. The all natural way to ensure an adequate supply of essential minerals and trace elements. Contains Seaweed, Nettle, Cleavers, Rosemary & Borage

CSJ also do a mix called Get Over which includes nettles.

Nettles are a very useful herb.  Of course the main thing is to pick from non contaminated sources so away from grass verges and sprays.

HTH

The young ones don't have stingers on them yet, or sting only mildly. The stingers contain acetycholine, seretonin, a histamine (causes itching) and formic acid (causes the stinging). Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, and can affect the action of the heart (slow it down). None of these substances are toxic in small doses. And people have been eating nettles for centuries (okay, usually they cook them which destroys most of the above substances!)

My main concern would be discomfort due to the stinging, but you'd think the dog wouldn't eat them, if he was being stung. I once had a patient who fell into a patch of very tall nettles. He had nettle rash over about 40% of his body. It was oozing, itching and very, very uncomfortable. I think he actually spent a day in hospital being treated with antihistamines.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle