Beware of these toxic plants for pets

As we celebrate the spring holidays and start up the spring cleaning, a lot of people are filling up their homes with blooming buds and blossoms to liven up their lives, but be warned if you’re an animal lover as some of those lovely perennial plants could be dangerous or even deadly to your pets, but don’t worry. There are still plenty of safe potted companions to be admired. Just follow this friendly guide the next time you visit the nursery to make sure you keep your furry friends happy and healthy. 

Let’s start off with one of the most common cat-egories: felines. Aloe vera, azalea, castor bean, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, daffodil, daisy, English ivy, hyacinth, kalanchoe, “true lilies”, lily of the valley, marijuana, oleander, poinsettia, sago palm and Tulips—for many of these plants, particularly spring bulb plants like lilies, the petals, pollen and even the vase water are highly toxic for cats. Coming in contact with these plant components can cause acute kidney failure, and in a good amount of cases, death, so if you really like these flowers, it’s best to keep them outside in the garden and not on the ottoman. 

Moving on to dogs. The list is really very much the same, but there are a few plants that grow outside that you should avoid allowing to flourish if you have a curious dog. Rhubarb leaves, sweet pea, tulip bulbs, umbrella plant, wisteria and yew are plants that can cause stomach issues, liver and kidney problems and worse, so if you see this growing it’s best to root them up for the life of your pup. 

And finally, let’s move on to rodents. From rabbits to hamsters, even if they’re herbivores, these little guys still have some poisonous plants, and by some, I mean a lot, like there is a long, long list: aloe, apple seeds, apricot plants (except the fruit), avocado leaves, azalea leaves, begonia, calendula, cherry trees, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, eucalyptus, holly, hydrangea, ivy, juniper, lilies, milkweed, mistletoe berries, morning glories, nutmeg, oak foliage, certain parts of peaches, certain parts of pears, certain parts of plums, poison ivy and oak, primrose, rhododendron, sweet pea and potato, tomato leaves and vines and violet seeds. Rodents have very sensitive digestive systems, so all foods and snacks should be researched ahead of time, and any plants in their space should be background checked. 

And now moving away from that topic, here are some plants that are actually safe to have around your fluffy buddies.

For cats and dogs, some safe plants are the american rubber plant, areca palm, bamboo, basil, echeveria succulents (aka “hen and chicks”), boston fern, cilantro, money tree, phalaenopsis, spider plant, African violets, snapdragons, orchids, garden marigolds, pansies, petunias, sunflowers, zinnias and gerbera daisies.

As for rodents, safe plants to keep around are yarrow, common hollyhock, common daisy, pot marigold, common marigold, cornflower, field chickweed, dahlia and coneflowers. 

We often take care of our own allergies but not always our pets, and this spring a lot of people will put aesthetics over their pets’ health, but maybe follow this list and look out for your buddy while also fighting off that leftover seasonal depression.

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