The last thing you expect when you're taking your beloved pooch for a walk is for them to get seriously sick after you return.
But that's the unfortunate reality for some dog walkers in Northern Ireland after a spate of deaths are thought to have been caused by a particular plant.
Hemlock, also known as Hemlock Water Dropwort, may look innocent but is seriously dangerous when ingested.
It can cause horrendous symptoms including vomiting, trembling, problems in movement, slow and weak later rapid pulse, rapid respiration, salivation, urination, nausea, convulsions, coma, and even death in domestic animals and humans.
The roots of the plant are the most toxic part.
A dog was taken ill and later died while out walking in Lough Neagh in County Antrim in early May, with the animal's death thought to be possibly caused by exposure to the poisonous plant. Several other canine deaths have been reported in the area, reports the Daily Mail.
It is thought that the reason the plants have grown in abundance this year is due to the damp spring.
Arguably the most infamous of poisonous plants, it was a recurring ingredient in Shakespearean potions and used in executions in Ancient Greece. It is thought Socrates ingested the plant when he was sentenced to death.
There are worries that the plant may be muddled with Cow Parsley, which is edible.
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) said a site inspection on May 23 had found 'a large amount of toxic but fairly common Hemlock Water Dropwort' and described it as 'perhaps the most poisonous indigenous plant.'
The plant can reach heights of between three and six feet, and the poison omits a horrid smell, likened to mouse urine.
Have you heard of this plant before? Let us know in the comments.
