[2] It is commonly found in heavily grazed pastures as livestock tend to avoid it, allowing veiny dock to spread uninhibited.

[4] Like all docks, Rumex venosus is considered edible,[citation needed] but the young leaves tend to be too sour to be palatable.

The achenes can be boiled into a mush or ground into a flour, but the process of removing the seeds from the chaff is considered too time consuming to be worth the effort.

[citation needed] The leaves have been used to relieve the burning of stinging nettle, and can be dried and used as a powder to help speed the healing of wounds.

While a large quantity would have to be consumed in order to experience these toxic effects, it is recommended that people with kidney problems, the elderly, or small children refrain from using docks.