By Nancy Wade Leary.
It’s that season again when beautiful plants abound in the stores. As tempting as it is to put Poinsettias all around the house to give it that festive look, be careful when Rover is roving about. Some of these beautiful plants are dangerous for your canine friends. The literature is mixed on the degree of toxicity for some.
Poinsettia: These beautiful flowering plants may be less toxic than previously believed. Nevertheless, when ingested they can cause vomiting, drooling, and diarrhea. Mouth irritation can also occur. So, keep them up on a higher shelf away from the dogs.
Holly and their berries: When ingested, they are irritants to the mouth and can cause drooling, vomiting and diarrhea. The spiked edges of the leaves can also cause irritation and damage to the GI tract. Large ingestions can lead to serious illness. This is one to keep well out of reach or out of the home.
Mistletoe: Although mistletoe is usually hung up high away from the dogs, even small ingestions can lead to irritation in the stomach and intestines with vomiting and abdominal pain. Larger ingestions can cause severe and serious symptoms with cardiac and neurologic effects. Keep the mistletoe out of reach and better yet, out of the home.
Amaryllis: This beautiful flower from a bulb is toxic in both the flowering plant and in the bulb. When they ingest Amaryllis, dogs may have severe GI symptoms, lethargy, and tremors. Be especially careful if this bulb in planted outdoors and your dog is a digger. This beautiful flower should be on a high shelf away from the dogs or opt for a safer alternative.
The ASPCA Poison Control number is 1-888-426-4435, 24 hour a day.
Sources:
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