The claim
Be careful of rapeseed fields. These can cause severe burns to dogs, mammals and even humans. They are also poisonous if consumed.
Our conclusion
Eating rapeseed can cause mild gastrointestinal problems in dogs. To cause more severe symptoms like those reported on various social media, a very large amount would have to be eaten.
There are currently more and more warnings for dog owners circulating, pointing out the dangers of rapeseed. Apparently it can cause burns, and consumption can lead to anemia, impaired vision, breathing difficulties or digestive problems.

The same text was also warned on the website smartpaws.de
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
So is rapeseed toxic or dangerous for dogs?
Poisonous plants for dogs are listed
on the website botanikus.de Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is not listed here. The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) refers to the warnings circulating on social media and writes:
“There have been various posts circulating on social media about rape which have been widely shared and understandably concerned many dog owners.
The posts claim that canola is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause signs such as hemolytic anemia, blindness, nervous system damage, digestive disorders and breathing problems. These posts are misinformation.
The symptoms mentioned only occur in grazing animals, and most dogs remain asymptomatic after contact with canola. Dogs can develop gastrointestinal distress if they have ingested some of the plant, and there have been reports of skin reactions resembling burns, but this is extremely rare and does not happen to every dog that comes into contact with it. We have contacted some of the administrators of these posts. It is important to remain vigilant and inform practice staff and clients about the misinformation in these posts.”
The VPIS also shared this information on Facebook :
Petfixclub.com publishes a statement from Dr. Nicola Robinson, Head of the Veterinary Poison Information Service (VPIS) and the Animal Poison Line:
“Most dogs do well after exposure to canola, although consumption can cause mild gastrointestinal distress.
To cause more severe symptoms like those seen on various social media, a very large amount would have to be eaten. According to our data, rapeseed poisoning occurs mainly in grazing animals (particularly ruminants) that have had access to the plant for several days or weeks. Burn-like skin reactions can occur in dogs, but these are rare and do not affect every dog that eats canola. It is very important to put this into perspective and owners should not become unduly concerned after reading social media posts that are not evidence-based and whose claims are not supported by data.”
There is also a reference to the warnings on the vethelpdirect.com
“There have been some pretty frightening symptoms circulating on social media lately. In grazing animals we can see severe signs such as hemolytic anemia, blindness, damaged nervous systems, digestive disorders and respiratory problems - this is not commonly known in our domestic animals.”
Vethelpdirect and also VPIS mention grazing animals here. And yes, rapeseed can be dangerous for cows However, our dogs are not ruminants.
Conclusion

Like Dr. Nicola Robinson says social media posts are not evidence-based.
If skin injuries occur, they are probably mechanical in nature. Rapeseed plants are quite robust and hard. So if dogs run through a rapeseed field and collide with the plants, this can lead to skin irritation.
The warning messages say “If consumed in sufficient quantities, …” - According to experts, a very large amount of rapeseed would have to be eaten to trigger the symptoms described.
In general, you should not let your dog run free in cultivated fields. Aside from the fact that this is not something any farmer would like to see, you should also remember that you are entering the “living room” of wild animals. Another thing that should not be overlooked if you are concerned about your four-legged friend is that various fields are sprayed with fertilizers or pesticides, which can very well be responsible for poisoning.
Source:
botanikus.de , Veterinary Poisions Information Service (VPIS) , vethelpdirect.com , petfixclub.com
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