Be Careful of Flower Power

 WARNING! That Hyacinth may smell good, but it's TOXIC if ingested by your pet.
 
 
In parts of the world, April showers do indeed bring May flowers, and it’s those very same flowers we have to be careful with around our pets.

While spring is the time for sprucing up the yard and planting in the garden, this yearly ritual for some outdoor enthusiasts, it’s good to keep in mind to exercise some caution along with that green thumb.

The pretty azaleas and peonies and hyacinths that line our properties are also extremely toxic if our pets ingest them. 
 
 "TulipsHyacinths and Irises are all considered toxic to both dogs and cats, and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and drooling if ingested.  All parts of the plants contain toxins and can cause issues for your pets, but the toxins are most concentrated in the bulbs of the plant—making the bulb the most dangerous part." ~ASPCA
 
 
With Easter being a spring holiday, please beware of friends bearing lilies. Those beautiful spring holiday plants are fatal to cats. For more info, read an article by PetMD on this. Please take a few moments to check out this video with Dr. Justine Lee from Pet Poison Helpline highlighting some of the most poisonous plants to pets:



"TulipsHyacinths and Irises are all considered toxic to both dogs and cats, and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and drooling if ingested.  All parts of the plants contain toxins and can cause issues for your pets, but the toxins are most concentrated in the bulbs of the plant—making the bulb the most dangerous part," states the ASPCA. "Depending on how much your pet ingests, and which parts of the plant are ingested, significant vomiting or diarrhea may occur which can lead to more serious concerns such as dehydration, lethargy and abdominal pain." 
 
For a list accompanied by photos of plants toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, click here for the ASPCA website listing. In any case of possible ingestion or poisoning, always contact your vet and keep handy the Poison Control Helpline numbers:





Smokie warns, "NO Lilies, fellow kitties!"

And let's not forget about mulch and fertilizers. Here is a video fromThe Dog Lodge to remind us of this danger lurking in landscapes, including cocoa mulch:

 
When it comes to composts and fertilizers, there are some important things to be aware of when it comes to our dogs. The following is according to AKC Reunite*:

"Rose & Plant Fertilizers: HIGHLY DANGEROUS! Some of these fertilizers contain disulfoton or other types of organophosphates (OP). As little as 1 teaspoon of 1% disulfoton can kill a 55 lb dog, so be careful!

Blood Meal/Bone Meal/Iron: Dangerous if high amounts are ingested. Ingesting large amounts of either can result in vomiting and diarrhea. Large amounts of blood or bone meal can lead to an obstruction or pancreatitis. Ingesting high amounts of Iron can affect the liver and heart.

Compost: Toxic to pets and wildlife so please keep it fenced off. As the organic matter decomposes, it is common for molds to grow, some of which produce hazardous tremorgenic mycotoxins, that can result in sickness and physical distress in as little as 30 minutes when ingested. Symptoms include agitation, panting, drooling, vomiting, tremors and seizures. Prompt veterinary treatment with appropriate supportive care usually results in a good prognosis."

So, while we all enjoy gazing at the beautiful, aromatic spring flowers, let’s be vigil when we are gardening, walking our pets, letting them loose in the yard, or welcoming plant-bearing friends into our home— those very same plants can pose a very real threat to our beloved fur pals.

Until next time, may you and your furkids enjoy the great outdoors, stay safe, and be happy! 
 
 Updated April 2022
 

 
 
 

 
 
 


Comments

  1. Thanks for the hints!! Arwen always stops to smell flowers - it's so sweet when I see her head over to them :)

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  2. Great PSA again!!! We knew about the hyacinths - that is why they are in the front yard and not in our kingdom. We don't have any of those poisonous ones in our yard - Ciara doesn't allow us to have very much back there anyway:)

    Have a great Sunday.

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yepper depper. Sometimes pretty on the outside can be really rotten on the inside! Kind of like a blowfish cooked wrong...bad news bears for sure :( Eat grass I say. Safe as long as the pest dude hasn't sprayed it. Yikes. Just gotta be careful period huh. Good reminder y'all :D

    Wigglin at ya,
    Roo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh yea, lots of dangerous stuff out n' about, great message, listen up everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello new furends!!! What a nice blog you have!! Thanks for sharing about the flowers!

    Licks,
    Ruthie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing all that info!
    Knowing that my mom feels better for not having a garden in my house!
    Happy Sunday!
    Kisses and hugs
    Lorenza

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great post!! I only have three plants in my backyard and none are on the list. It's good to know what is poisonous....some I had no idea. Thanks! Lots of love, Debbie and Holly

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  8. hihi miss five sibes mama! thankies bunches 'n tons for stoppin' by my bloggie! it's nice to meet new friendz! :)
    also super duper big thankies for this informational on icky poisonous plants. i kinda sorta did somethingie very naughty last year. my mama had brought in her hibiscus plant for the winter, and i took a big bite out of it when she wasn't lookin'. hibiscus plants are bad bad bad for doggies, so mama had to give me the hydrogen peroxides to make me have the pukies. i won't evarrr do that again, and mama will be way more careful about puttin' any icky poisonous plants way out of my reach if she evarrr has to bring them inside again!

    *woof*
    the booker man

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm currently in the process of figuring out what to plant in my yard... thanks for the handy info!

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  10. OOOh, scary stuffz! I'd better be careful, since I like to eat most anything I find outside.

    Woofs & hugs,

    ~Bailey

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  11. Thank-you, thank-you, Thank-you for all you do for all the dogs you help by your good advice!!!!
    Wonderful post!!!
    You have been to visit with me- thanks again!! I love your company!!!
    I have been lucky enough to have dogs that don't eat anything except grass when outside. Happy only eats cat nip when she is outside so I am lucky!!!
    Thanks again!!
    xx, Bambi & Fern

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  12. Thank you so very much for the great info. We had no idea about hyacinth.

    Love,
    Teddy Bear

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  13. Great information! Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Great information! My human is aware of the various dangerous mulches out there, but she did not know about the flowers. So, thank you for educating my human on the dangers of such pretty flowers. Good thing I prefer eating grass over flowers. :->

    Keep up the great work on educating us!

    Suka

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  15. Very informational post! Thanks for putting those great links all in one place for everyone to find them!
    Cairn cuddles, Oz

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you! We live in the middle of the woods so we do little landscaping aside from the easy job of planting native wildflowers. But, given Labs' propensity for eating anything and everything, I've used the poison control phone numbers before. Thanks for getting the word out there.

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  17. An excellent reminder!! One good reason we have no plants in our back yard and any in the house are up out of the way, and verified non-pet-toxic before it comes in the door!

    Lets keep all our furry friends safe!

    Holly

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  18. Thanks for a very informative post, I have put them in my favorites, luckly its not that offen George eats the plants but you never know.
    Have a good week
    Jan

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  19. Nice that you are spreading the word. Too bad about those hyacinths, they smell so pretty!

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  20. Thanks for the important info about Spring bulbs and mulches. The opeing photo is lovely.

    ReplyDelete

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