Plants and Pets -- a Warning

Be aware! You may be harboring plants that could be hazardous to your pet's health.

A recent report from the National Animal Poison Control Center indicated that over 40 different types of house plants and 33 different ornamental plants were involved in suspected animal illnesses. Not every plant your dog or cat may chew on will result in illness, however, if your pet eats a plant, don't take any chances. If you know what kind of plant was involved call your veterinarian to find out if it is potentially dangerous. If you don't know what kind of plant it is take a leaf and your pet to the veterinarian.

Sometimes plant poisoning can be very sneaky. I know, I almost lost our Dachshund, Schultz, when she was about 7 years (she lived to 16). We found Schultz at the back door foaming at the mouth. Being the astute veterinarian I am, I thought aha, she's gotten into some kind of insecticide. I treated her accordingly but within an hour she was worse than before. This time I got serious and gave her something to induce vomiting and lo and behold up came something that looked like a raw hide chew bone. I continued treating Schultz and over the next few hours I was able to stabilize her condition. I was really concerned. Schultz had been poisoned by something but my only lead at that point was what appeared to be a rawhide chew. I knew that a rawhide chew could not be the source of the poisoning UNLESS someone deliberately treated a rawhide with a chemical toxin. I carefully searched the patio area in the backyard and found something that looked like rawhide growing on a railroad tie retaining wall. It turned out that this rawhide appearing material was in fact a very toxic fungus.

Some plants that can be toxic for pets--- azalea, bittersweet, caladium, calla Lilly, castor bean, crocus, daffodil, daphne, dieffenbachia, elephant's ear, English ivy, holly, hydrangea, Japanese yew, Jerusalem cherry, larkspur, lilly-of-the-valley, milkweed, mistletoe, monkshood, nightshade, oleander, philodendron, poinsettia, rhododendron, string of pearls. Don't forget mushrooms, toadstools, other fungi and oak leaves.