Plant Pet Threats

February 5th, 2013

   I was out houseplant-shopping with my daughter recently, and one parameter on the checklist was something that wouldn’t poison her toddler dog, Boon.

Chinese evergreen… on the pet-unfriendly list.

   I was surprised at how many species turned up on the no-no list.   It seems that dogs and cats are more sensitive to more plants than people are. What made the research even harder was that there is no rhyme, reason or pattern behind what’s apparently “poisonous” and what’s not (not to mention how different lists disagreed).   The best advice I can come up with is: A.) Pay careful attention to your source, and B.) Check out the plants one by one.

   As for source, I’d have to say your vet would be a reliable place to start. Beyond that, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a tremendously detailed web site that not only lists species toxic to animals, it spells out exactly what is the threat AND includes a sister list of plants that aren’t toxic to animals.

   Here’s a link to the site: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants.

   This list also separates cats from dogs because the lists aren’t exactly the same.

   Easter lily is a good example. That one shows up as a non-toxic for dogs, but for cats, it can cause vomiting, kidney failure and even death. For some unknown reason, cats are particularly sensitive to something in Easter lilies.

   For the most part, some fairly common houseplants can be an issue for both cats and dogs, such as dieffenbachia, amaryllis, snake plant, corn plant, bird of paradise, golden pothos and Chinese evergreen.

   On the other hand, these are some that get the all-clear for both cats and dogs: African violets, aluminum plant, peperomia, cast iron plant, chenille plant, copperleaf, areca palm and Rex begonias.

   And here’s one that caught my eye: poison ivy and poison oak are no problem for cats and dogs. Both of those might give people serious skin reactions, but dogs and cats aren’t allergic.

   And another one: grapes can poison dogs (at least some of them some of the time in enough quantity).

   One thing I liked about the ASPCA list was that you can click on each plant name and read exactly what plant parts are potential problems and what those problems are.

   Almost all other lists just have a heading – usually “Poisonous” – and then they list plant names underneath. That’s it. I suspect that leads most people to think their pet could die if he/she ate anything on the list.

   When you research deeper, you’ll find that most of the time the threat isn’t a deadly poison but a reaction that causes temporary sickness or discomfort – usually things like nausea, vomiting, listlessness, diarrhea, or in the case of plant sap, irritation around the tongue and mouth.

   For instance, a lot of people fear the poinsettia and believe it’s deadly not only to dogs and cats but to people as well.

   That plant shows up on ASPCA’s “toxic” list, but it accurately points out that the reason for that is the milky sap can irritate a dog or cat’s mouth or stomach. It’s not a deadly plant, and according to ASPCA, is “generally overrated in toxicity.”

Oleander is one of the most toxic plants… to dogs, cats and people.

   Much bigger threats to pets are the same few plants that are poisonous to people, such as oleander, castor bean, yew, Jerusalem cherry and mistletoe berries.  Some thoughts:

   1.) The time to separate the “no problems” from the “little problems” from the “big problems” is before your pet eats something – or better yet, before you buy it in the first place. Check the ASPCA list.

   2.) Don’t panic if you catch your dog or cat with leaves in their mouth. A majority of houseplants are non-toxic, and most of the rest are only somewhat threatening – and dependent on just how much the pet ate. A bag of bland rice that Boon once ate also made him throw up, and that’s “non-toxic.”

   3.) If you’re at all in doubt and it appears your dog or cat ate a plant, call your vet or one of the pet poison control hotlines (which charge a fee), such as the ASPCA’s 888-426-4435 or the Pet Poison Hotline at 800-213-6680.