Spring is in full swing, which means many of us are enjoying the outdoors and appreciating our plants and flowers. While the backyard is typically a fun oasis for your four-legged friend, there are certain plant types that are harmful to animals. Take care to keep these toxic species away from your pets.
1. Lilies
Additional names: Daylily, Easter lily, Japanese show lily, Oriental lily, Rubrum lily, Stargazer lily, Tiger lily, Wood lily
Lilies are beautiful and popular spring flowers to plant in the garden and indoors, but most lilies are extremely toxic to your pets. Cats are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of lilies, Â as just a small amount can be fatal.
2. Cyclamen
Additional name: Sowbread
There are over 20 species of Cyclamen, sweet-scented perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It contains terpenoid saponins, which are harmful to your pet and can cause salivation, vomiting, diarrhea. Larger ingestions can cause heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures, and even death.
3. Poison Hemlock
Additional names: Poison Parsley, Spotted Hemlock, Winter Fern, California Fern, Nebraska Fern, Deadly Hemlock
Not to be confused with a hemlock tree, Poison Hemlock contains various alkaloids that are toxic to cats and dogs and can cause agitation, tremors, drooling, diarrhea, paralysis, and even death when ingested.
4. Branching Ivy
Additional names: English Ivy, Glacier Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy, Sweetheart Ivy, California Ivy
When ingested, Branching Ivy can be toxic to your pet and could cause vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, diarrhea, depression, along with abnormal functioning of the heart, and even lead to death if ingested. It’s important to note that the foliage is more poisonous than the berries.
5. Oleander
Additional name: Rose-Bay
A popular plant belonging to the Apocynaceae family, Oleander contains toxic cardiac glycosides which can cause drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhea, colic, depression, along with abnormal functioning of the heart and can even lead to death if ingested.
6. Tulips
Tulips belong to the Liliaceae family. While they are a popular spring flower, they are toxic to your pet with the highest part of toxic concentration belonging to the bulb. Once ingested, harmful symptoms include vomiting, depression, diarrhea, and hypersalivation.
7. Sago Palm
Additional names: Coontie Palm, Cardboard Palm, cycads and zamiasÂ
Dogs and cats can get sick from eating any part of this plant, which can be kept as an indoor ornamental. The Sago palm belongs to the Cycadaceae family and contains cycasin, a toxic element that, if ingested, can cause vomiting and increased thirst, severe gastrointestinal upset, internal or external bleeding, liver damage or even failure, and can be fatal.
8. Cocoa bean mulch
Mulch is an important part of gardening, but gardeners beware: cocoa bean mulch can contain the toxic components found in chocolate, theobromine and caffeine. These substances are poisonous to dogs and when ingested, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rate and function, tremors, and sometimes even death.
9. Kalanchoe
Additional names: Mother-In-Law-Plant, Devils Backbone, Chandelier Plant, Mother of Millions
This colourful plant belongs to the Crassulaceae family and is harmful to your pet when ingested, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and more severely could include irregularities with heart functioning and coordination.
10. Castor bean plant
Additional names:Â Castor Oil Plant, Mole Bean Plant, African Wonder Tree, Castor Bean
These beans are highly toxic to your pet due to the ricin found in the plant. The entire plant is toxic to animals, especially the beans, where ingestion of only a small amount can lead to devastating effects for your pet. Signs may include loss of appetite, excessive thirst, weakness, colic, trembling, sweating, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, progressive central nervous system depression, and fever. If left untreated, bloody diarrhea may occur, and convulsions and coma can precede death.
The list above are just some of the plants that can be harmful to your pet but there are more.
If you have a dog or cat who likes to eat your plants, it is best not to leave them unsupervised around these items and be sure not to leave yard trimmings they could access.
Should you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, call your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic immediately. How quickly treatment is started can mean the difference between life and death.