I know we have all heard the stories, chocolate is poisonous to dogs(true, but it has to be 100% chocolate to really do damage, a candy bar may be 5% chocolate), or poinsettias are poisonous (a 12 year old would have to eat several hundred bracts to get an upset stomach, and let me tell you, several hundred ANYTHING is gonna put a hurtin on ya!)
Well here are some things to be aware of. I know most of our pets could care less about plants, but our neurotic cat Tico has a thing for Dracenas and risks his life(with momma) daily to chew on her plants. Puppies are probably the biggest risk group as they are big-time chewers. So here are some plants to watch for and their effects.
Azalea- do we even have these in Hampton Roads? Well as many as we have, we still have pets. Seriously, these can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and death.
Oleander- This one is VERY toxic. It will cause severe vomiting, abnormal heart rate, shock, weakness and death. Be careful with your little puppies around this one.
Daffodil bulbs- if they dig these up, they cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rate, abdominal pain, and respiration issues.
Lily- Highly toxic to cats and can cause severe kidney failure.
Indoors we need to watch for:
Kalanchoe- Vomiting, diarrhea, heart arrhythmias, and neurological signs (maybe Tico ate some!)
Cyclamen-vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and heart arrhythmias.
If you're not sure about a new plant, the Internet is a great resource to find out more before putting your pets at risk. Garden safe!!
Mark Griffith is a Virginia Certified Horticulturist and a lead designer with Nautilus Garden Designs in Hampton Roads www.nautilusgardendesigns.com
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