Many of us have at least one plant in our homes, if not more. At the time of purchasing these plants and carefully selecting a place for them in our household, most of us probably had no idea the damage they could cause to our cats and dogs if eaten.
Vets see a great deal of cases involving pets poisoned by common plants, and this comes down to the owner just not knowing what is safe and what is not around their companion.
Did you know that Aloe Vera can be toxic? And Lilies? Even Daffodils, Tulips and Ivy?! Because I didn't. And I hadn't given a second thought to owning any of these until I adopted a cat. Dogs are more likely to consume household and garden plants as they love tasting everything and anything, so the risk is greater for them than cats. Saying that, you can never be too careful, so below is a list of common plants that are potentially toxic to your pet.
Household Plants
Aloe Vera
Bird of Paradise
Boston Ivy
Caladium
Creeping Charlie
Cyclamen
Dumbcane
Emerald Duke Philodendron
English Ivy
Glacier Ivy
Heartleaf Philodendron
Lily/Liliaceae Family
Marble Queen Pothos
Nephthytis, Arrowhead Vine
Parlor Ivy
Pothos
Split Leaf Philodendron
Umbrella Plant
Garden Plants
Amaryllis
Baneberry
Buchberry, Creeping Dogwood
Castor Bean/Castor Oil
Daffodil
Daphne
Foxglove
Hemlock
Hen-and-Chicks (succulents)
Hyacinth
Hydrangea
Lily-of-the-Valley
Mistletoe
Morning Glory
Nightshade
Oleander
Poinsettia
Pokeweed
Red Sage
Rhododendron
Rhubarb
Sweet Pea
Tulip
Wisteria
Yew
Remember that all of these plants have a botanical name as well as their common name (which is used for this list), so double check your current and future plants if they are in an area that your cat or dog can easily access or like to sniff around.
The effect of these plants on pets can differ depending on the toxin, what pet you have, the amount consumed and the animal's medical condition. Symptoms can range from irritation and vomiting to seizing and fitting, and some of these common household and garden plants' toxin can be fatal.
If your pet eats any part of a plant that is listed here, you should seek veterinary care immediately.