Plants Poisonous To Dogs

Some plants are harmful to pets

Bill Sevier: Ask a Master Gardener

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Q: Are there some plants I should not plant in an area where my new dog will be? T.M. Jenks

A: Dogs, especially young dogs, will taste and chew anything within reach, including indoor and outdoor plants. If the taste is not too bad, they will eat plant parts and in some cases become very ill. Poisonous plant ingestion is one of the leading causes of emergency visits to veterinary facilities.

Many plants are poisonous to dogs, and the ASPCA has an inclusive list of more than 400 plants to avoid. The Humane Society has a more practical list of about 100 indoor and outdoor plants. These lists apply to dogs and to cats, as well, to a certain extent. Cats have their own list of plants to avoid, and there is not a complete overlap of plants poisonous to both.

When a plant is listed as “poisonous” to a dog, it doesn’t mean that it is lethal. Some of these plants do have some serious toxins, such as chemicals in the glycoside family, which may cause toxicity to the heart and severe kidney damage. These may certainly be lethal. But the majority of plant toxicity is survivable for pets and is often limited to gastrointestinal and mild systemic symptoms. Fortunately, many of the toxic plants either irritate a pet’s mouth or have undesirable tastes, which limits their intake.

In any case, if your pet is sick and you suspect it has eaten some plant parts, they should be seen as soon as possible by your veterinarian.

The UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital lists the following 12 plants, mostly indoor plants, responsible for the majority of their emergency calls. They are lilies, lily of the valley, anemone, aloe vera, amaryllis, asparagus fern, daffodils, philodendrons, jade plants, chrysanthemums, cyclamen and sago palms.

Out of the 100 plants listed by the Humane Society as having potential toxicity, most are ornamental perennials. Some of the more common ones are autumn crocus, azalea leaves, black locust pods, horse chestnut (buckeye), buttercups, caladium, castor bean, chinaberry berries, common privet leaves and berries, larkspur, dieffenbachia (dumb cane), Dutchman’s breeches, Easter lily, elderberry, elephant’s ear, English ivy, bittersweet vine, foxglove, holly berries, hyacinth, iris, lantana, laurels, mistletoe, morning glory, narcissus, Irish potato leaves, rhododendron, rhubarb leaves, star of Bethlehem, wisteria, yellow jessamine and yews.

If you are getting a new dog or if you have one and are considering a new plant, either indoors or out, it would be worth your time to go to the Humane Society’s website and review its list of plants. It has not only the names of the plants listed, but also the parts of plants that are considered to be toxic.

Garden tips

§  Don’t spray insecticides during fruit tree bloom or pollination may be affected. Disease sprays can continue according to schedule and label directions.

§  Mowing of warm-season lawns can begin now. Cutting height for bermudagrass and zoysia grass should be 1 to 1½ inches high, and buffalograss 1½ to 3 inches high.

§  Harden off transplants outside in partial protection from sun and wind prior to planting.

§  Hummingbirds arrive in Oklahoma in early April. Get your bird feeders ready using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Do not use red food coloring.