Warning: This is not going to be a very pleasant read! It begins with vomiting and mild diarrhea, and progresses up to heart problems and, well, an expensive trip to the emergency vet. But as you contemplate Spring -- new plantings or returning perennials and shrubs -- it's important to know which choices may prove unhealthy for your pets, depending on their behavior in the garden. Plant toxicity can be avoided when you know which plants contain toxins, where to plant them out of the reach of pets, or which part of your garden should be kept off limits to dogs and cats.
Pets can ingest poisonous parts of plants in many ways. Sometimes leaves contain toxins. Or it could be seeds, flowers or bulbs. Depending on your pet’s garden habits, chewing leaves, digging in the ground to expose bulbs, or coming into contact with toxic flowers and then licking their fur can cause potential harm. Concentrating on our New England location and some of the most popular garden choices, here are plants that may require some extra thought on your part, beginning with Spring bulbs.
If your dog is a digger, use caution beginning in the fall, when seeing you dig to plant the bulbs may inspire your pet to join in. Such favorites as daffodils, tulips, bluebells and Spring crocuses all contain toxins that should be kept from pets.
- Daffodils: Flowers, leaves, and the bulb itself can prove unpleasant if ingested. Effects include vomiting, stomach upset and drooling. If large amounts are consumed, pets may experience respiratory problems, convulsions and eventual heart problems. Even drinking water from a vase containing daffodils can prove to be problematic.
- Tulips and Hyacinths: Contact with leaves and flowers can cause drooling, vomiting and diarrhea. Bulbs are most toxic. Breathing difficulties and heart problems can result from hearty consumption.
- Spring crocuses: The variety that flower in Spring are much lower in toxicity than Autumn-blooming crocus, and may cause mild stomach upset when eaten. Autumn crocus, higher in toxicity, bloom mainly in the Midwest.
- Bluebells: All parts of this small Spring plant contain a toxin that can eventually affect the heart, but a large quantity would have to be consumed to have such effect. However, a small amount can produce stomach pain and vomiting.
Be Cautious with These Spring Bloomers & Flowering Perennials
- Lily of the Valley: Sweet-smelling and low-growing, the entire plant contains toxins that should be avoided. Extreme cases of consumption can produce lowering blood pressure, seizures or coma.
- Iris: Consumption of any part of this Spring plant can cause skin irritation, vomiting, diarrhea and drooling.
- Foxglove: All parts of this popular plant, seeds, leaves and flowers, are toxic to pets. While small amounts may cause vomiting, extreme ingestion can result in cardiac failure.
- Begonia: They contain an irritant to the mouth, which should deter greater ingestion that can lead to difficulty swallowing.
The Low-Down on Shrubs
- Holly: While its leaves are low in toxicity, they are spikey and can cause physical damage to your pet's mouth. The berries are more toxic and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
- Hydrangea: Its toxic elements include flowers, buds and leaves. They contain hydrangin, which, when digested, breaks down into a form of cyanide. Mild symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and stiffness can lead to seizures and coma, if consumed in large enough quantity.
- Peony: The bark of the shrub version of this popular plant contains the toxin paeonol, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
- Azalea & Rhododendron: These popular plants contain the neurotoxin, grayanotoxin, effects of which can begin with an upset stomach and weakness and eventually effect the central nervous system.
English Ivy: A vine rather than a shrub, it is often seen winding around trees but also shows up as a ground cover. Its leaves are poisonous and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and drooling.
What to Do
Should your dog or cat exhibit any of the symptoms mentioned above, it’s important that you do not try to induce vomiting yourself, but get your pet to a vet quickly. Questions it would be most helpful to have answers for are:
- What type of plant did they ingest?
- How much do you think they swallowed?
- How much time has elapsed since they began showing symptoms?
- What symptoms are they displaying?
This list of garden favorites is meant to give some guidance in the choice and placement of those plants that need consideration if your pet is a chewer or digger. It does not include houseplants or plants that are not popular in our Plant Hardiness zone. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals maintains a 24/7 Poison Control Center hotline: 888 426-4435. Keep the number handy, in hopes that you will never, ever need it!