We are sooo happy spring is here! I love to garden in my spare time and am always adding to it; finding new plants to fall in love with. With that said though, pet owners need to be careful about choosing their plants. As beautiful as the following flowers are, if ingested, they can be quite harmful to our pets.
Cyclamen
The roots of this seasonal flowering plant are especially dangerous to pets. If ingested, cyclamen can cause severe vomiting and even death.
Daffodils
These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong emetic properties (something that triggers vomiting). Ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression.
Crystals are found in the outer layer of the bulbs, similar to hyacinths, which cause severe tissue irritation and secondary drooling. Daffodil ingestions can result in more severe symptoms so if an exposure is witnessed or symptoms are seen, we recommend seeking veterinary care for further supportive care.
Dieffenbachia
Popular in many homes and offices, dieffenbachia can cause intense oral irritation, drooling, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing if ingested.
Kalanchoe
This popular flowering succulent plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea and heart arrhythmias if ingested by pets.
Lilies
Lilies are very abundant this time of year and all parts of the plant are toxic. The severity of the signs depends on how much is ingested. Lilies can cause vomiting and even kidney failure for cats. There are many varieties of toxic plants growing all around us.
Oleander
Oleander is an outdoor shrub, popular for its evergreen qualities and delicate flowers. However, the leaves and flowers are extremely toxic if ingested and can cause severe vomiting, slow the heart rate, and possibly even cause death.
Rhododendron
If these flowers are ingested, they could cause drooling, vomiting and irregular heart beat.
Tulips and Hyacinths
Tulips contain allergenic lactones while hyacinths contain similar alkaloids. The toxic principle of these plants is very concentrated in the bulbs (versus the leaf or flower), so make sure your dog isn’t digging up the bulbs in the garden.
When parts of these plants, including the bulbs, are chewed or ingested, it can result in tissue irritation to the mouth and esophagus. Typical signs include profuse drooling, vomiting, or even diarrhea, depending on the amount consumed. There’s no specific antidote but with supportive care from your veterinarian, animals do quite well. With large ingestions of the bulb, more severe symptoms such as an increase in heart rate and changes in respiration can be seen and should be treated immediately by a veterinarian.