POISONOUS FLOWERS, PLANTS AND YOUR PETS.

Whether you’re saying - I love you, I’m sorry, Thank you, Miss you, Happy birthday to someone by giving a single rose, a bouquet of flowers or blooms, it can effectively convey your feelings and emotions when words fail you.  During Victorian era, many books were written on what different flowers said along with how to arrange them to form a message between you and the recipient instead of words,  and flowers were a large part of that.

However, appearance can be deceptive and not all flowers are fit for this purpose as some exotic blooms have a much darker side to them.

It is widely believed that Egyptians were responsible for discovering the poisonous properties of arsenic, henbane and strychnine long before modern medicine existed.  Their experimentation with distillation, fermentation, and eating things that might have been poison, single-handedly gave us most of the information we have today about naturally occurring poisons.  Whether they were using the seeds, leaves or roots of plants, the Egyptians discovered many a way to ‘Weaponize Flowers’.

Sure they may look harmless, but in the hands of a right person, a plant can be just as deadly as a shotgun.

The greatest risk to your pet’s health is being poisoned in the one place your pet is supposed to be safest – ‘Your Home'.  Pets, like young children, explore the world with their senses, and they are therefore vulnerable to accidental poisoning.

We all know that dogs and cats often have a penchant for eating strange things.  Cats may gravitate towards plastic or wool, and many a dog will chew on whatever it can get its chops around.

Dogs are very inquisitive.  Sniffing, smelling and usually tasting almost anything in sight are natural behaviors for dog.  For that reason, we commonly see dogs ingest items that are not their food and at times can be very dangerous poisons.

And then there are plants.  Whether garden plants, houseplants, plants in the wild or flowers from the florist.  Plants can provide a tasty and tempting diversion for animals, one that can be at odds with your pet’s health.

In order to prevent poisoning by cut flowers or house plants, avoid placing toxic ones in your home where pets may be able to access them.  Or better yet, avoid placing toxic ones in your home where pets may be able to access them.

Here is a list of some flowers and garden plants which could be dangerous to your pet dog.

ALOE VERA:

Although Aloe is generally considered to be a healing plant or herbal remedy, it can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested.

Aloes contain anthraquinone glycosides which are purgatives (medications that encourage bowel movements). When ingested, these glycosides are metabolized by intestinal bacteria forming compounds that increase mucus production and water in the colon. This can result in vomiting and diarrhea. Other clinical signs seen with Aloe Vera ingestion include depression, anorexia, changes in urine color, and rarely, tremors.

AMARAYLLIS:

Pretty common as a garden ornamental and a very popular potted bulb for the holidays which normally blooms in summer, but toxic to both cats and dogs.  Be careful with the bulbs, they contain the most toxins.

Symptoms: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdomen pain, hyper-salivation, anorexia, tremors.

AZALEA:

Not only toxic to cats and dogs, this popular garden staple is also dangerous for horses, goats and sheep.  If ingested of just a few leaves can cause serious problems.

Symptoms: Acute digestive upset, excessive drooling, loss of appetite, frequent bowel movements/diarrhea, colic, depression, weakness, loss of coordination, stupor, leg paralysis, weak heart rate and recumbency for two or more days, at this point, improvement may be seen or the animal may become comatose and die.

BABY’S BREATH:.

This sweet filler of many floral arrangements seems innocent enough, but not so innocuous when it comes to your pet’s digestion which could lead to vomiting and diarrhea and should be considered unhealthy, but not life threatening. Upon finding out that your pet may have ingested the plant, the mouth should be rinsed and flushed thoroughly with water to remove any uneaten plant material. Vomiting may then be induced to purge any plant material from the stomach.

BIRD OF PARADISE:

Bird of Paradise is a tropical plant that is beautiful to look at but toxic to dogs.  The flower on top of the stalk resembles a bird in flight and stands 4 to 5 feet tall, which often is the perfect height for curious canine mouths. It takes just one nibble off a flower for a dog to feel the effects of plant poisoning.  However, when an owner recognizes the signs and responds rapidly, the dog can recover.

BEGONIA: 

A common decorative plant, usually potted.  It’s quite toxic for cats and dogs, and can cause intense burning sensation of the mouth, throat, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, choking and swelling of throat, inability or difficulty swallowing.  Symptoms may continue to occur up to two weeks after ingestion.  Tubers are the most toxic.

CARNATIONS:

Dogs should not be allowed to eat carnation stems or any other parts of the plant for that matter.  They are not only toxic but are potentially harmful to canines, and also felines.  Keep them away from all of your furry cuties.  Since the irritant of the carnation isn't certain, it is important to never allow your dog to go near a carnation, much less eat it.

CASTOR BEANS:

 Not in everyone’s garden or bouquet, but castor bean plant is a popular landscaping plant used in many parks and public spaces.  Watch out for it on those dog walks.

Symptoms: Abdominal pain, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, weakness and loss of appetite.  Severe cases of poisoning can result in dehydration, muscle twitching, tremors, seizures, 
coma and death.

CHRYSANTHEMUM:

The smell of chrysanthemum is enough to keep me away, but dogs and cats may still be drawn to it.  It’s not likely to cause death, but it is a popular plant and can cause quite a bit of discomfort in certain cases, depression and loss of coordination may also develop if enough of any part of the plant is consumed.

Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, hyper salivation, dermatitis.

CYCLAMEN:

These pretty flowers are popular in the garden and in pots – and they are toxic to both cats and dogs.  The highest concentration of the toxic component is typically located in the root portion of the plant.

Symptoms: Gastrointestinal irritation, including intense vomiting.  Fatalities have also been reported in some cases.

DAFFODIL:

These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong properties. For a full grown dog, only 15g of a Daffodil plant needs to be digested for it to be fatal, 50% of dogs who ingest any part of a Daffodil plant will die.  It can be very tricky to diagnose as symptoms present much like those of a snake bite.

Symptoms: Drooling, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Increased heart rate, Abdominal pain, Abnormal breathing.

GLADIOLAS:

Very popular in flower arrangements, it also is quite common in gardens. The part that is mainly toxic is the bulb of the plant, which can cause salivation, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy in both dogs and cats.

Bulbs such as daffodils, tulip and jonquils are poisonous to both cats and dogs with the main concern being that bulbs are often confused by pets as a ball to play with.  They might dig it up or find one in the garden shed, toss it around and then start chewing on it, potentially resulting in them being poisoned.

HOSTA:  

Beautiful and green with big meaty leaves, Hostas are used for decorative properties, just don’t let your dog or cat munch on them. Canine ingestion of Hosta plants is rarely fatal.  The effects is produced are uncomfortable, resulting in extreme stomach upset.  Depression is common among dogs who have eaten Hostas, usually accompanied by nausea.  In cases where large amounts of Hostas have been eaten, vomiting and diarrhea are to be expected. The toxic effects directly tally to the size of the dog and the amount ingested.

IVY:

(California Ivy, Branching Ivy, Glacier Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy, Sweetheart Ivy, English Ivy)

The cell sap has shown the ability to create redness, itching and/or blisters when it comes in contact with living tissue.  Symptoms of ingestion include an immediate burning sensation in throat and mouth, possibly followed by redness, blisters, rash and obvious visible irritation of oral mucosa, excessive drooling, obvious pain or discomfort of the mouth, pawing at the mouth, hoarse or weak sounding vocalization, excessive desire to drink, gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.  In cases of an extremely large ingestion: stupor, loss of coordination, hypotension, convulsions and coma. Unconfirmed livestock deaths reported in old 20^th century literature, none in modern literature.

LILIES:

Some plants that have the word ‘Lily’ in their name are not part of the Liliaceae family and may be toxic to dogs, so beware.  A couple such examples are the arum lily and the calla lily, both of which are from the Araceae family.

Both plants are poisonous to dogs and cats alike, and can yield symptoms such as problems swallowing, throwing up, mouth irritation and salivation.  Keep these away from your pets at all times.

LILLY OF THE VALLEY:

The plant pops up in Christian legend several times.  As the story goes, lily of the valley was formed from the tears of Mary as she wept at the crucifixion of Jesus, and grew from the blood shed by Saint Leonard of Noblac during his fight with a dragon.


The lily of the valley was also used as the floral emblem of Yugoslavia and is the national flower of Finland.

Is it poisonous? You bet it is.
These delicate little flowers may look innocent, however they are in fact extremely poisonous.
Toxicity is the plant's defense against animals, eating its seeds.  All parts of the plant - the stems, the leaves, the flowers and the berries are extremely poisonous and close to 40 different cardiac glycosides have been found in the plant. 

MORNING GLORY:

The Morning Glory is a beautiful, flowering climbing vine (although a shrub variety is also available). While not all species are poisonous, some can be quite dangerous when large amounts of seeds are ingested. The seeds from the flowers of some species contain the toxin, lysergic alkaloids. When ingested, clinical signs of incoordination, diarrhea, anemia and hepatic (liver) necrosis can be seen.

Signs to watch:  Incoordination, Diarrhea, Anemia, Hepatic (liver) failure.

OLEANDER:

It could severely affect cats, dogs, and even horses. All parts contain a highly toxic cardiac glycoside (much like digitoxin) and can cause a number of problems.
 Symptoms:  Colic, diarrhea (possibly bloody), sweating, incoordination, shallow/difficult breathing, muscle tremors, recumbency, and possibly death from cardiac failure.

POINSETTIA:

Popular decorative plant during Christmas season.

Signs of Poisoning:  Mild signs of vomiting, drooling, or rarely diarrhea may be seen. If the milky sap is exposed to skin, dermal irritation (including redness, swelling, and itchiness) may develop. Rarely, eye exposure can result in a mild conjunctivitis (“pink eye” secondary to inflammation). Signs are self-limiting and generally don’t require medical treatment unless severe.

Antidote and Treatment:  There is no antidote for poinsettia poisoning. That said, due to the low level of toxicity seen with poinsettia ingestion, medical treatment is rarely necessary unless clinical signs are severe.

POTHOS:

 Not the most toxic plant on the list, but it’s such a popular houseplant that it should be noted that cats and dogs both have adverse reactions to chewing or ingesting it.

Symptoms:  Oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing

SAGO PALM:

Sago Palm are popularly found in temperate regions and are very popular landscaping plant, and also double as popular bonsai choice. They are apparently very tasty to animals, and unfortunately highly toxic, all parts are poisonous, but especially the seeds.

Symptoms: Vomiting, melena, icterus, increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulopathy, liver damage, liver failure, death.

TOMATO PLANT:

The tomato is a member of the nightshade family and as such, the plant is usually toxic. While not too likely to prove fatal, your cat or dog might suffer from weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart rate, hyper salivation, severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, drowsiness as well as depression & confusion.

TULIP AND NARCISSUS

Is your dog a digger? If so, you should be careful about planting these flowers in your garden. The bulbs of these plants are highly toxic and can cause cardiac abnormalities, intense gastrointestinal irritation, drooling, loss of appetite, convulsions and depression of the central nervous system

Signs to watch:  Incoordination, Diarrhea, Anemia, Hepatic (liver) fail.

YEW:

The bark and leaves of this popular evergreen has provided the bases for the cancer treatment drug paclitaxel. General ingestion of any part of the tree (except the flesh of the berry) can be very dangerous to animals.  Horses have an especially low tolerance to yew.

Symptoms: Central nervous system effects is such as trembling, incoordination, and difficulty breathing.  It can also cause significant gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac failure, which can result in death.    

  

And...

these were ‘some’ toxin flowers and plants dangerous to our four-legged friends.  We, the two-legged species have an equally lengthy list to be cautious with plants like:-

Rosary Pea

Monk's Hood

Bushman’s Poison

Snake Root

Moon Seed

Choke Cherry

Night Shade…

and a lot more. But one name that stands out is:

STRYCHNINE TREE:

EGYPTIAN QUEEN CLEOPATRA – famously forced servants to commit suicide by means of a Strychnine tree’s fruit seeds, which contain lethal levels of strychnine and brucine, in order to determine if it would be the best means for her own suicide. Upon seeing their agony (which included painful vomiting, facial contortions and convulsions) she opted for the apparently less horrific choice of the asp (The asp was actually an ancient term for any number of poisonous snakes), but experts think it was probably the cobra that Cleopatra chose to end her life..

                                          

                                          The Creation

                          When God had made the earth and sky
                          the flowers and the trees,
                          He then made all the animals
                          the fish, the birds and bees.

                          And when at last He'd finished
                          not one was quite the same.
                          He said, "I'll walk this world of mine
                          and give each one a name."

                          And so He traveled far and wide
                          and everywhere He went,
                          a little creature followed Him
                          until it's strength was spent.

                          When all were named upon the earth
                          and in the sky and sea,
                          the little creature said, "Dear Lord,
                          there's not one left for me."

                          Kindly the Father said to him,
                          "I've left you to the end.
                          I've turned my own name back to front
                          and called you dog, My friend."