Mary Allen
The local flora has a lot to offer and is especially beautiful during the spring months. But no matter how harmless some plants may seem, they can cause a lot of harm to our dogs. Here you can find out which plants are poisonous, how they work, and what to look for in case of poisoning.
How Do Plant Toxins Work?
Different plants secrete different poisons that act differently depending on the species. Hydrocyanic acid, for example, affects breathing and can lead to respiratory failure. Central nervous system toxins, such as theobromine in the cocoa plant, disrupt the central nervous system and can lead to heart failure. Some poisons irritate the digestive system and cause diarrhea, vomiting, or discomfort.
What Happens When a Dog Comes Into Contact with Poisonous Plants?
Poisoning symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Apathy
- Difficulty breathing until breathing stops
- Profuse salivation
- Vomiting, diarrhea
- Circulatory disorders up to shock or coma
- Tremble
- Disorientation
If a plant is poisoned, you must immediately contact your veterinarian. Then it’s important to know when your dog ate the plant and what kind of plant it was. At best, you will take the sample with you to practice. In addition, the amount that the dog ate is important and decisive for further treatment. Based on the sample, your veterinarian can give the correct medication to help your pet get better quickly. The main thing: keep calm! If your dog is having trouble breathing and is unable to breathe anymore, you should try to calm him down and show him that you are around.
First-aid Measures On-site or at Home
If the road to the vet or clinic is longer, you can start first aid measures on the road or at home: give activated charcoal tablets. Charcoal tablets are a must-have for every homeowner because they work wonders with some poisons and can save your dog’s life.
Keep the airways clean. Especially during transport, you must make sure that your dog can breathe. Some poisons swell the airways and the dogs choke.
Not vomiting. Some poisons are corrosive and can damage the esophagus. The local veterinarian must decide if the animal should vomit or not. Therefore, it is very important to know what the animal ate and how it was poisoned.
How do Charcoal Tablets Work?
They make sure that the poison does not enter the bloodstream from the intestines. They neutralize the poison so that various forms of poison can bind to it. Contaminated carbon particles can be excreted from the body in a bound form. The toxin cannot enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall.
The exact dosage should be discussed with your veterinarian in advance. Charcoal tablets should always be on hand so they can be taken quickly.
Poisonous Garden Plants
- Lily of the valley: contain glycosides. This can lead to nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. In some cases, even cardiac arrest.
- Rhododendron: It is very popular with garden owners and decorates many gardens. However, both the leaves and flowers are highly toxic and, among other things, cause seizures, diarrhea, and a rapid heart rate.
Farther:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Oleander
- Hyacinths
- Thuja
- Boxwood
- Ivy
The most poisonous plant in Europe is aconite. They can only be touched with gloves and are also dangerous to people. Pet owners should do without it completely.
Poisonous Indoor Plants
The trunk, leaves, shoots, or berries of these plants are poisonous:
- Elephant tree
- Dieffenbachia
- Ivy
- Sheet
- Rubber tree
- Color sheet
- Green lily
- Aralia
Bulbs, in particular, are poisonous here:
- Cyclamen
- Amaryllis
- Key
- Gorgeous lily
In these plants, milky sap is especially poisonous:
- Christ thorn
- Christmas star
If you have a dog at home, especially a puppy, you should avoid these and some other plants. However, if you cannot part with them at all, you should place them or plant them so that your dog cannot contact them. In the garden, you can set up raised beds or a fence with suitable plants to create the safest garden for your furry friend. More tips on this have been given here, summarized. Also, place plants in an apartment only in high places, out of the reach of your four-legged friend. Poisoning in dogs is often fatal. Therefore, be well versed in poisonous plants. Since some of them can also be found outdoors, care should be taken, including during daily walks.
More poisonous plants:
- Fern
- Alpine rose
- Avocado
- Henbane
- Hemp onion
- Christmas rose
- Dragon tree
- Yew
- Aconite
- Angel Trumpet
- Window leaf
- Fiery bob
- Ficus
- Thimble
- Laburnum
- Garnet
- Autumn crocus
- Hercules bush
- Senior
- Dog parsley
- Jacob’s ambrosia
- Cocoa tree
- Cherry laurel
- Crocus
- Poppy
- Nightshade
- Oleander
- Primrose
- Rhododendron
- Giant hogweed
- Delphinium and star
- Raisin
- Saffron
- Opium poppy
- Snowball
- Daphne
- Thorn apple
- Tobacco
- Deadly nightshade
- Tulip
- Juniper
- Walnut
- Water fennel
- Desert rose
- Miracle shrub
- Bryony
and much more…