Earlier in October we enjoyed Garden Day SA and with that in mind, we thought it would be useful to do some research regarding which commonly found plants may be toxic or poisonous to pets. Although it’s obviously less common for cats and dogs to be poisoned by plants than herbivorous livestock, it does occur. If toxic plants are ingested, symptoms and health outcomes vary, and though few cases are fatal, toxic plants can have severe effects on an animals health.
Although most plant poisonings in dogs and cats don’t result in death, it’s vital that if your pet exhibits any symptoms, treatment should be initiated without delay. As we all know, animals are typically “tough” and often don’t show symptoms until they really feel terrible. In addition, the clinical signs of poisoning tend to be non-specific, and owners may not actually have witnessed their pet chewing a plant.
If you notice anything is amiss with your pets demeanour, look for remnants of plant matter in their stools or vomit, as this may serve as an important indicator of what they may have ingested. If you suspect one of your plants has been chewed by your pet, it’s helpful to take a piece of the plant to your vet so that it can be identified and the correct treatment can be administered.
Most plant poisonings in dogs and cats are attributed to ornamental house or garden plants, but can also be due to substances occur in plant matter that that’s used for food preparation for humans.
We all know that dogs and cats typically don’t “prefer” plants (there are, of course exceptions). However, pets may chew plants for reasons other than hunger. It’s not uncommon for dogs to chew plants out of boredom – particularly if they’re confined while their owners are out. Pets also chew plants out of curiosity, and of course teething puppies will chew on almost anything.
It seems that when it comes to poisoning from plants, there are many variables that influence the health outcome for your pet, including the constitution of the animal. The variety, part, growth stage or condition of the plant will also dictate the levels of toxicity that occur in the plant.
The resource below is by no means exhaustive and doesn’t include mycotoxicosis (poisoning from toxic fungi), mushroom poisonings or cyanobacterial intoxications (blue-green algae poisoning). It also doesn’t include injury or irritation caused by sharp seeds or awns (plant hairs or bristles).
BERRY DANGEROUS
Toxins in the Syringa berry tree (also known as seringboom) acts on the nervous system of animals. While toxins are present throughout the plant, the berries hold the highest concentration. As one might assume, toxicity is dose-related and is also apparently influenced by environmental factors – some trees aren’t toxic at all! Should your pet eat the berries or fruits, either neurological or gastrointestinal signs may show within a couple of hours.
Cotoneaster and firethorn (pyrancantha) bear orange or red berries and contain amygdalin in the fruits, and cyanogenic glycosides prunasin in the bark, leaves, flowers and fruits.
Intoxication may result in not enough oxygen being delivered to tissues and cells (hypoxia). In addition, animals who have ingested either cotoneaster or firethorn may also salivate, vomit, and/or have diarrhoea.
Cannabis sativa, otherwise known as cannabis, marijuana or dagga is also potentially toxic for animals. Regardless of whether pets ingest or inhale cannabis, they rarely (if ever) absorb a dose that’s lethal and fortunately, very few cases of cannabis intoxication in animals have been reported. However, dogs have (by mistake, we assume) snacked on cannabis-laced cookies, foraged cannabis cigarette butts, and have occasionally taken a bite of fresh-cut marijuana leaves.
Within 1–3 hours of ingesting or inhaling cannabis, the animal may show neurological, gastrointestinal or a combination of both, symptoms. The most frequent clinical signs of cannabis intoxication are typically depression, ataxia (lack of incoordination), tremor, vomiting, and mydriasis (dilated pupils).
Less common signs of cannabis intoxication are disorientation, weakness, head pressing, hyper-excitability, coma, hypersalivation, urinary incontinence, an irregular pulse, and hyperthermia. In some instances, dogs have experienced increased heart and respiratory rates and have been seen snapping at the air – which implies hallucination. It’s been reported that most animals who have ingested or inhaled cannabis recover fully within a period of 48–72 hours.
PRETTY POISONOUS
The purple and white flowering plant commonly known as Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (also known as Poison apples or nightshade) has been known to cause both neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms in dogs and cats. Pets have been known to ingest the species’ berry-like fruits, which are poisonous when green. This causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and in some cases incontinence when asleep and a garlic-odour breath. Although the fruits are the most poisonous part of the plant, all parts of this plant may cause intoxication.
Diagnosis is usually be confirmed when parts of the plant are detected in the gastrointestinal tract and/or vomit and faeces of the animal. Animals may salivate, choke, gag and may also have oro-nasal irritation, haemorrhagic diarrhoea, and frequent urination. Other symptoms include anxiety, depression, ataxia, weakness, and seizures. If treated early, most dogs completely recover.
There are various bulbs and bulb like plants that can have a toxic effect on an animal’s gastrointestinal tract. These include the bulbs of the Star of Bethlehem, as well as various garden lilies such as tulips, amaryllis, narcissus, daffodil, and hyacinth.
Poisoning caused by these plants is generally caused by the ingestion of bulbs. However, eating the flowers or even drinking from the water that cut flowers stand in, may cause toxicity. Symptoms range from abdominal tenderness, pyrexia (fever), lethargy and mucosal pallor, to salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, and anorexia. If poisoning is severe, the animal may show signs of ataxia and may even collapse. In some reported cases animals have not recovered. Contact with sap of these plants may cause pruritis (itchy skin) and erythema (skin inflammation).
Honeysuckles are found widely growing in gardens. Though certainly beautiful, if animals ingest honeysuckle, they may suffer from mild gastrointestinal upset, as well as vomiting, diarrhoea, (which may be bloody), depression, and lethargy. Convulsions, have also been reported.
PERNICIOUS HOUSE PLANTS
The stems and leaves of plants from the Araceae family – such as Elephant’s ear, dumb cane, delicious monster, arum lily, and philodendron irritate the mucous membranes in animals. The plants contain insoluble calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals which are contained in cells called idioblasts. When these cells rupture, they release the sharp spicules that have been formed by the crystals. These in turn act on the mucous membranes of the tongue, throat and mouth, causing physical damage and inflammation.
Animals who have ingested these plants may show signs ranging from increased salivation, anorexia and depression, to pawing, head shaking, and sometimes vocalisation (as a reaction to pain). Should large amounts of the plant have been ingested, animal owners may also notice diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, twitching and trembling. The good news is that most animals typically recover under supervision from their vet.
LOOKS SO INNOCENT
Though ancient and beautifully majestic, cycads hold toxins that are dangerous for animals.
While any part of the plant can be toxic, the seeds have the highest concentration of toxins. If affected, dogs typically exhibit gastrointestinal signs, diarrhoea (that may be haemorrhagic) and vomiting, They may also show signs such as depression, anorexia, weakness, ataxia, or seizures. If treatment is sought without delay, dogs generally survive poisoning from cycads.
While it’s good to know which plants potentially contain toxins, the good news is that poisoning by plants is relatively rare. In fact, global surveys have shown that chemical poisoning by pesticides and/or drugs is far more common.
As always, if you notice that your plants have been bitten or chewed and your pet exhibits any unusual behaviour, it’s best to consult with your vet. And remember to take a sample of the plant along to the consult. Just in case.
If you’d like to reference our resources, please check out the links below.
Resources:
Botha, CJ. Penrith, ML. Potential plant poisonings in dogs and cats in southern Africa. [O].
Common garden and house plants that may be toxic for your pets
Earlier in October we enjoyed Garden Day SA and with that in mind, we thought it would be useful to do some research regarding which commonly found plants may be toxic or poisonous to pets. Although it’s obviously less common for cats and dogs to be poisoned by plants than herbivorous livestock, it does occur. If toxic plants are ingested, symptoms and health outcomes vary, and though few cases are fatal, toxic plants can have severe effects on an animals health.
Although most plant poisonings in dogs and cats don’t result in death, it’s vital that if your pet exhibits any symptoms, treatment should be initiated without delay. As we all know, animals are typically “tough” and often don’t show symptoms until they really feel terrible. In addition, the clinical signs of poisoning tend to be non-specific, and owners may not actually have witnessed their pet chewing a plant.
If you notice anything is amiss with your pets demeanour, look for remnants of plant matter in their stools or vomit, as this may serve as an important indicator of what they may have ingested. If you suspect one of your plants has been chewed by your pet, it’s helpful to take a piece of the plant to your vet so that it can be identified and the correct treatment can be administered.
Most plant poisonings in dogs and cats are attributed to ornamental house or garden plants, but can also be due to substances occur in plant matter that that’s used for food preparation for humans.
We all know that dogs and cats typically don’t “prefer” plants (there are, of course exceptions). However, pets may chew plants for reasons other than hunger. It’s not uncommon for dogs to chew plants out of boredom – particularly if they’re confined while their owners are out. Pets also chew plants out of curiosity, and of course teething puppies will chew on almost anything.
It seems that when it comes to poisoning from plants, there are many variables that influence the health outcome for your pet, including the constitution of the animal. The variety, part, growth stage or condition of the plant will also dictate the levels of toxicity that occur in the plant.
The resource below is by no means exhaustive and doesn’t include mycotoxicosis (poisoning from toxic fungi), mushroom poisonings or cyanobacterial intoxications (blue-green algae poisoning). It also doesn’t include injury or irritation caused by sharp seeds or awns (plant hairs or bristles).
BERRY DANGEROUS
Toxins in the Syringa berry tree (also known as seringboom) acts on the nervous system of animals. While toxins are present throughout the plant, the berries hold the highest concentration. As one might assume, toxicity is dose-related and is also apparently influenced by environmental factors – some trees aren’t toxic at all! Should your pet eat the berries or fruits, either neurological or gastrointestinal signs may show within a couple of hours.
Cotoneaster and firethorn (pyrancantha) bear orange or red berries and contain amygdalin in the fruits, and cyanogenic glycosides prunasin in the bark, leaves, flowers and fruits.
Intoxication may result in not enough oxygen being delivered to tissues and cells (hypoxia). In addition, animals who have ingested either cotoneaster or firethorn may also salivate, vomit, and/or have diarrhoea.
Cannabis sativa, otherwise known as cannabis, marijuana or dagga is also potentially toxic for animals. Regardless of whether pets ingest or inhale cannabis, they rarely (if ever) absorb a dose that’s lethal and fortunately, very few cases of cannabis intoxication in animals have been reported. However, dogs have (by mistake, we assume) snacked on cannabis-laced cookies, foraged cannabis cigarette butts, and have occasionally taken a bite of fresh-cut marijuana leaves.
Within 1–3 hours of ingesting or inhaling cannabis, the animal may show neurological, gastrointestinal or a combination of both, symptoms. The most frequent clinical signs of cannabis intoxication are typically depression, ataxia (lack of incoordination), tremor, vomiting, and mydriasis (dilated pupils).
Less common signs of cannabis intoxication are disorientation, weakness, head pressing, hyper-excitability, coma, hypersalivation, urinary incontinence, an irregular pulse, and hyperthermia. In some instances, dogs have experienced increased heart and respiratory rates and have been seen snapping at the air – which implies hallucination. It’s been reported that most animals who have ingested or inhaled cannabis recover fully within a period of 48–72 hours.
PRETTY POISONOUS
The purple and white flowering plant commonly known as Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (also known as Poison apples or nightshade) has been known to cause both neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms in dogs and cats. Pets have been known to ingest the species’ berry-like fruits, which are poisonous when green. This causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and in some cases incontinence when asleep and a garlic-odour breath. Although the fruits are the most poisonous part of the plant, all parts of this plant may cause intoxication.
Diagnosis is usually be confirmed when parts of the plant are detected in the gastrointestinal tract and/or vomit and faeces of the animal. Animals may salivate, choke, gag and may also have oro-nasal irritation, haemorrhagic diarrhoea, and frequent urination. Other symptoms include anxiety, depression, ataxia, weakness, and seizures. If treated early, most dogs completely recover.
There are various bulbs and bulb like plants that can have a toxic effect on an animal’s gastrointestinal tract. These include the bulbs of the Star of Bethlehem, as well as various garden lilies such as tulips, amaryllis, narcissus, daffodil, and hyacinth.
Poisoning caused by these plants is generally caused by the ingestion of bulbs. However, eating the flowers or even drinking from the water that cut flowers stand in, may cause toxicity. Symptoms range from abdominal tenderness, pyrexia (fever), lethargy and mucosal pallor, to salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, and anorexia. If poisoning is severe, the animal may show signs of ataxia and may even collapse. In some reported cases animals have not recovered. Contact with sap of these plants may cause pruritis (itchy skin) and erythema (skin inflammation).
Honeysuckles are found widely growing in gardens. Though certainly beautiful, if animals ingest honeysuckle, they may suffer from mild gastrointestinal upset, as well as vomiting, diarrhoea, (which may be bloody), depression, and lethargy. Convulsions, have also been reported.
PERNICIOUS HOUSE PLANTS
The stems and leaves of plants from the Araceae family – such as Elephant’s ear, dumb cane, delicious monster, arum lily, and philodendron irritate the mucous membranes in animals. The plants contain insoluble calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals which are contained in cells called idioblasts. When these cells rupture, they release the sharp spicules that have been formed by the crystals. These in turn act on the mucous membranes of the tongue, throat and mouth, causing physical damage and inflammation.
Animals who have ingested these plants may show signs ranging from increased salivation, anorexia and depression, to pawing, head shaking, and sometimes vocalisation (as a reaction to pain). Should large amounts of the plant have been ingested, animal owners may also notice diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, twitching and trembling. The good news is that most animals typically recover under supervision from their vet.
LOOKS SO INNOCENT
Though ancient and beautifully majestic, cycads hold toxins that are dangerous for animals.
While any part of the plant can be toxic, the seeds have the highest concentration of toxins. If affected, dogs typically exhibit gastrointestinal signs, diarrhoea (that may be haemorrhagic) and vomiting, They may also show signs such as depression, anorexia, weakness, ataxia, or seizures. If treatment is sought without delay, dogs generally survive poisoning from cycads.
While it’s good to know which plants potentially contain toxins, the good news is that poisoning by plants is relatively rare. In fact, global surveys have shown that chemical poisoning by pesticides and/or drugs is far more common.
As always, if you notice that your plants have been bitten or chewed and your pet exhibits any unusual behaviour, it’s best to consult with your vet. And remember to take a sample of the plant along to the consult. Just in case.
If you’d like to reference our resources, please check out the links below.
Resources:
Botha, CJ. Penrith, ML. Potential plant poisonings in dogs and cats in southern Africa. [O].
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19831265/
https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/farming-basics/how-to-crop/syringa-berries-are-highly-toxic/
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/yesterday-today-tomorrow
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/star-of-bethlehem/
https://www.aspca.org/news/april-showers-may-bring-spring-bulbs-what-does-mean-your-pet
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/amaryllis/
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/daffodil/
https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/blog/posts/poisonous-house-plants-for-dogs-and-cats.html
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/dumbcane
https://www.petplate.com/blog/plants-toxic-to-dogs/
https://www.jcu.edu.au/news/releases/2012/january/cycads-are-not-a-dogs-best-friend
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