Dangerous Plants to My Dog

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

Because dogs love to explore and play outside, they are always at risk of coming across plants and flowers that are toxic to them. Unfortunately, most dogs tend to chew on things when they’re out playing and this behavior can turn deadly easily if you’ve unknowingly grown plants that are poisonous to dogs. In this post, we are listing down five of the most common flowers and plants that are dangerous to dogs:

Lilies

A gardener’s favorite, lilies are prized for their gorgeous flowers and delicate scent. But certain types of lilies are toxic to pets so it’s important to know the difference! Calla, Peace, and Peruvian lilies contain a compound known as oxalate crystals. Oxalate crystals can cause mild tissue irritation to the tongue, mouth, pharynx, and esophagus.

On the other hand, lily of the valley, peace lily, autumn crocus, and palm lilies are all highly toxic to dogs! Such varieties of lilies contain a type of glycoside called convallarin. Convallarin triggers a variety of symptoms in dogs — including vomiting, nausea, abnormal heartbeat, convulsion, and even coma. If you suspect that your dog has ingested such types of lilies, take your pet to the nearest vet immediately.

Oleander

Known for its pristine, delicate flowers and evergreen qualities, oleander is an outdoor shrub commonly seen in most yards. It’s also one of the most toxic plants there is. In fact, if your dog unknowingly chewed on oleander, it can cause severe vomiting, slow down the heartbeat, and even death. So steer your dog clear from this kind of flowering plant. Never plant oleander if you plan to have pets in the future.

Azalea

Azalea is a flowering shrub that blooms in spring. This plant comes in a variety of colors and has been bred for hundreds of years. It’s also a poisonous plant to dogs. Chewing just a couple of azalea leaves can result in severe vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive drooling. If a dog poisoned by an azalea plant does not get immediate veterinary attention, the dog could fall into a coma and possibly die as a result.

Daffodils

Daffodils may be pretty to look at but they contain an alkaloid called lycorine. Lycorine has strong emetic properties that can trigger violent vomiting in dogs. Ingestion of daffodil flowers or bulbs can cause diarrhea, intense abdominal pains, cardiac arrhythmias, or respiratory depression in dogs. Daffodil bulbs also contain crystals that can cause severe tissue irritation in dogs as well as secondary drooling.

Tulips

Tulips contain a compound similar to alkaloids called allergenic lactones. This is a toxic compound that’s mostly concentrated on the bulbs of the tulips rather than the leaves or flowers.

When tulip bulbs are ingested or chewed, they can cause tissue irritation in dogs, particularly around the mouth and esophagus. Signs of mild poisoning in dogs include severe drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe poisoning signs from tulips include increased heart rate and changes in respiration. Dogs that ingested a large amount of tulip bulbs should be taken to the nearest vet immediately.