Plant pet dangers
Be guarded in the garden!
It’s been wonderful watching the spring colours begin to emerge in our gardens…but did you know that spring bulbs can be harmful to our pets? Plants to look out for include; snowdrops, bluebells, daffodils (narcissus), hyacinths, tulips, irises and crocuses.
Plant bulbs contain irritant chemicals called alkaloids, which can be toxic to your pet. The chemicals are most concentrated in the bulb of the plant, but for some plants (such as daffodils), ingesting any part of the plant can be harmful.
Symptoms of ingestion typically include; drooling, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Severe cases can result in; abnormal breathing, increased heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, organ damage and seizures. Left untreated, this has the potential to be fatal, so it is very important to seek urgent veterinary advice if you witness or suspect your pet has ingested any part of the plant, including water in vases containing these plants (e.g., daffodils).
The severity of toxicity depends on both the type of plant ingested and the quantity, therefore it is useful to identify what plant your pet may have eaten and how much.
If you are concerned your pet might have been poisoned then contact your vet.
What should I do if I think my pet has eaten something toxic?
These instances require immediate action from you as a pet owner to minimise the risk of any serious consequences.
Your vet only has a short, limited time frame to try to minimise the absorption of poisons before they can cause harm and so an immediate appointment is essential and potentially life-saving.
Follow the simple steps on this page and always remember the word S.P.E.E.D in the future.
S Stop access to any poison
It may seem obvious but can the pet get hold of any more of the substance (i.e. if it’s in your garden)? If so keep your pet away from anything you suspect as dangerous.
P Phone the vet
This is an emergency and must be dealt with immediately.
E Emergency appointment
You cannot ‘wait and see’ with poisons as many do not affect your pet straight away and some can take several days to show symptoms, all the while doing damage to the inside before you see signs on the outside. Getting your pet seen immediately gives you the best chance to get effective treatment for your pet before you reach a potential point of no return.
E Evidence
Knowing what the potential poison is will really help your Vet make a rapid diagnosis and create the best treatment protocol for a successful recovery. If you have a label of the substance, bring it. If you don’t have a label but have access to the substance then bring a sample to the vet for testing (only if it is safe to do so and you are not putting yourself or anyone else in danger). If you don’t have a label or a sample but you animal has been sick, then bring a sample of this with you (if safe to do so) as the ingredient may be present in the vomit. If you don’t have access to any of these then don’t worry as your pet’s blood can be tested.
D Don’t delay!
You cannot afford to wait, act now!
