Poison Ivy and Dogs

 
Adriana: “I spread poison ivy between my mom’s toes.”

Adriana: “I spread poison ivy between my mom’s toes.”

 

This post is specifically written for poison ivy sufferers.

If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you’ll know one of my favorite things about dogs is sleeping with them. There is nothing like being surrounded by three or four dogs tucked all around me, feeling about as warm and safe as it’s possible to feel.

The problem (particularly at this time of year) is poison ivy. I get it everywhere and anywhere. The dogs trample through the plants, get the evil oil on their fur, then unknowingly transfer it to me when we’re all peacefully snuggled up in our den.

Since the foliage started blooming last month, I’ve had poison on my forehead, chin, calves, lower back, inside my belly button and ears, behind my knees, and between my toes. Right now, small red bumps are scattered up and down both arms, reaching from my hands to my armpits.

When I was kid, my father would rip the rash open with a wire brush, then poor something like bleach or peroxide over it to dry it up fast. And I loved it. There is nothing that feels as good as stopping that itch. Nothing.

Well, in my wisdom, I’ve decided that the bleach method seems a little extreme. It did leave a scar or two. And besides, I’m not that brave anymore. But luckily, I don’t have to stop cuddling with my freaks because I found a decent equivalent to an effective but possibly dangerous childhood remedy. It’s an over-the-counter liquid cleanser sold at pharmacies called Tecnu that washes away the poisonous oils. The cleanser doesn’t clear it up immediately, but it does stop those relentlessly itching bumps from spreading any farther.

During this lush, poison ivy-rich season, so I can sleep with my pack without any disruptions, I’m showering with Tecnu daily.