Protect Your Dogs and Cats from Toxic Plants and Flowers
Many plants and flowers can be poisonous to dogs and cats
Many indoor and outdoor plants can be poisonous to pets if eaten. Inquisitive pets can chew or swallow flowers, pollen, leaves, roots or bulbs and then become poisoned. Please see a list of plants and flowers that may be toxic to dogs and cats below. It is always a good idea to check with your garden centre or florist before purchasing plants or flowers to check that they are pet safe.
Lilies, in particular, are extremely toxic to cats -they often become poisoned by grooming the pollen from their coat if they accidentally brush against the flowers. However, any part of the plant if ingested can cause rapid and fatal kidney failure so it is not worth the risk of having them in your home if you own cats.
It is also worth being aware of seasonal plant dangers. For example, did you know that the following Christmas time plants and flowers are dangerous for you pet?
- Holly
- Ivy
- Mistletoe
- Poinsettia
- Pine Cones
- Xmas Tree Needles
Which plants are poisonous to dogs?
Whilst not an exhaustive list, the most common can be found below:
-
- Aconitum
- Amaryllis bulbs
- Asparagus fern
- Azalea
- Cyclamen
- Daffodil bulbs
- Day lilies
- Delphiniums
- Foxgloves
- Hemlock
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- Ivy
- Laburnum
- Lily of the valley
- Lupins
- Morning glory
- Nightshade
- Oleander
- Rhododendron
- Rhubarb leaves
- Sweet pea
- Tulip bulbs
- Umbrella plant
- Wisteria
- Yew
Which plants are poisonous to cats?
Whilst not an exhaustive list, examples can be found below:
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis sp.)
- Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
- Azaleas and Rhododendrons (Rhododendron sp.)
- Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
- Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum sp.)
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen sp.)
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe sp.)
- Lilies (Lilium sp.)
- Marijuana (Cannabis sativa)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.)
- Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
- Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
- Spanish thyme (Coleus ampoinicus)
- Tulip and Narcissus bulbs (Tulipa and Narcissus sp.)
- Yew (Taxus sp.)
A longer list of poisonous plants can be found on the icatcare website here.
What should I do if I think my pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have?
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!
