• Dangerous Plants You Should Not Have Inside or Outside Of Your Home If You Have Pets

    Posted on October 10th, 2011
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    Plants can be a beautiful way to spruce up your home and garden, but if you share your home with a dog or cat, you’ll want to choose your plants carefully. The leaves, seeds, berries and bulbs of some common plants can be poisonous to pets.

    Many flowers, such as hyacinth, oleander and hydrangea, can cause stomach irritation when ingested by your cat or dog. Wisteria, lily of the valley, morning glory and narcissus are other common plants that have parts that could be poisonous such as seeds, pods, roots, bulbs and flowers, and therefore should be avoided when landscaping your yard.

    Vegetable and fruit gardens should also be treated with caution. The leaves of rhubarb, shoots of potatoes and seeds of apples can be extremely poisonous to dogs and cats. Instead, try planting beets, honeydew melon or zucchini squash, none of which will pose a threat to your precious pets.

    If you’d like to bring your garden inside, tuberous plants are great to include in any fresh-cut arrangement. While some members of the tuberous family are completely poisonous, such as iris and lilies, others can be safe when handled intelligently. As long as their bulbs are discarded, tulips, daffodils and buttercups are a beautiful and safe way to bring nature indoors.

    In the spring, be sure not to plant azaleas, primroses or geraniums, which are entirely poisonous to dogs and cats. Consider planting impatiens, sunflowers or petunias instead, as they are all safe and will add color and beauty to your outdoor space.

    Floral decorations are not solely relegated to springtime, however. The winter holidays are a popular time to celebrate with seasonal plants, so be mindful as you decorate. Cats and dogs should stay away from holly and mistletoe–both of which contain poisonous berries–and English ivy and poinsettia plants, whose leaves, flowers and stems are toxic.

     

    2 responses to “Dangerous Plants You Should Not Have Inside or Outside Of Your Home If You Have Pets”

    1. […] the obvious no-no’s (chocolate, grapes, xylitol candy — all of which have proven toxic to pets), fatty foods are best avoided since they can cause pancreatitis and/or […]

    2. […] people already know that chocolate is toxic to dogs and can make them very sick. But chocolate is not the only sweet treat that poses a risk. Sugar-free candy contains a chemical called Xylitol that can make dogs severely ill even in small […]