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Poinsettia safe for dogs


Poinsettia Are Toxic To Pets

Poinsettia Are Toxic To Pets | Pet Poison Helpline

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plants

Alternate names

Euphorbia, lobster flower, flame leaf flower, Flower of the Holy Night, Flower of Christmas Eve, Crown of the Andes, Easter flower

During the holidays, poinsettias are a popular Christmas plant. Though they have a bad rap, poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) plants are only mildly toxic to cats and dogs. The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals called diterpenoid euphorbol esters and saponin-like detergents. While poinsettias are commonly “hyped” as poisonous plants, they rarely are, and the poisoning is greatly exaggerated. When ingested, 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 mild irritation. Signs are generally self-limiting and typically don’t require medical treatment unless severe and persistent. 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.

Common signs to watch for:

 

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Dogs

Toxicity Level

Mild

Cats

Toxicity Level

Mild

Disclaimer

The content of this page is not veterinary advice. A number of factors (amount of substance ingested, size of the animal, allergies, etc.) determine what is toxic to a particular pet. If you think your pet has eaten something potentially toxic, call Pet Poison Helpline or seek immediate veterinary treatment.

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Are Poinsettias Poisonous to Dogs?

Back To Vet's Corner

QUESTION:

My two-year-old Basenji is a very curious pup and still gets into things and chews on occasion. For the past two years, as a safety precaution, I kept holiday decorating to a minimum. I did not have poinsettias, lights, or candles – in fact, I hardly decorated at all aside from a tabletop tree. This year I would really like to decorate and feel more relaxed about doing so without worrying that my dog will ingest or destroy my holiday decorations. I especially love live Poinsettias, but I’m concerned about my dog getting into it. Are these plants highly toxic to dogs? While I can try to keep her away from the actual plant, I’m a bit worried about the leaves dropping and her getting into them. Any pointers you can provide to help me keep my dog safe this Holiday season would be excellent.

 

ANSWER:

It sounds like you are taking a responsible-dog-owner approach to your Christmas decorating. Pet owners need to be aware of hazards posed to their dogs from the puppy years all throughout their lives. From ingestion dangers to electric shock, many customary Christmas decorations can be hazardous to dogs and cats.

Poinsettias are a mildly toxic plant and should certainly be used with caution, but the dangers are hardly ever serious or fatal. The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals similar to those in detergents and when large quantities are ingested, mild signs of vomiting, drooling, or sometimes diarrhea may be seen. Skin irritation can occur when in contact with the milky white sap as well. Due to the low level of toxicity seen with poinsettia ingestion, you are safe to use them in your house with caution. All reasonable precautions should be made such as keeping plants and decorations out of your dog’s reach and never leaving your dog unattended when decorations, plants and potentially hazardous foods are present.

While medical treatment is rarely necessary when a dog ingests a leaf from a poinsettia plant, you should contact your veterinarian if clinical signs appear in your dog. Below is a more detailed list of common Christmas plants that are dangerous to dogs.

And a helpful video on ways to keep your dog safe this Christmas

Happy and Safe Holidays to you and your dog!

Common Holiday and Christmas Plants that are Dangerous to Dogs

Plants that can kill your pets

January 6, 2016Life

The world's largest animal protection organization - the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) - has published a list of plants dangerous to pets. They produce substances that are toxic to animals in dangerous quantities. The consequences can vary from nausea to death. Below is a list of the most common plants that can cause a toxic reaction in animals.

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Cats and dogs often chew flowers and grass. This can be caused by a lack of certain substances in the body, and sometimes by simple curiosity. At the same time, there is an opinion that animals instinctively feel danger. But over the years of living next to a person, they have lost the ability to recognize what is useful and what is poisonous.

Eating or, for example, licking toxic plants can cause serious poisoning, allergies and even death in cats, dogs, parrots, hamsters and other pets. Here is what an expert, veterinarian Anna Kondratieva, thinks about this.

Anna Kondratyeva

Veterinarian

Owners of cats should be especially attentive to breeding flowers at home. These animals like to eat cereal plants, such as cyperus, pogonaterum. But there are times when cats eat poisonous flowers that are not dangerous to humans. At first, chewing a leaf, the cat feels great, but poisons can have a delayed effect and accumulate in the animal's body. Therefore, it is better not to keep dangerous flowers in an apartment where cats are located. The whole plant, especially seeds and roots Garden grass Ordinary birch leaves, berries Decorative shrub Bobovnik , Bobs 9002 Spotted hemlock Leaves, stems, fruits Field grass Black elderberry Leaves, roots, buds liana oak shoots, leaves wood Denalty dier The whole plant, especially seeds Bulberries, or Delphinium plant, especially shoots Wild flower Zygadenus Leaves, stems, seeds, flowers Grass Seeds Grass Bolocase All plant Home plant Horse Kashtan, or Assulus Crohn, Nuts Wild flower Cub or agrostemma Seeds Wild flower, weed tree Melia Azedara, or Kupchina Berries Wood Beautiful, or Poansettia leaves BIRTHDENTIONAL Plant or RAM Sap Ornamental shrub Black hellebore Root shoots, leaves Garden flower The whole plant, especially the leaves Decorative shrub Smeplokarpus smelly The whole plant, especially the roots, leaves 23 STROGO Comete Comfort Comfort Comet Leaves Cultivated and wild grass Tobacco Leaves Cultivated plant Tevets Peruanskaya The whole plant, especially leaves Garden Plant TIS Cor, seeds Wood Thousandheads Seeds Wild flower Philodendron Whole plant House plant Jatropha Seeds Shrub

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Anna Kondratyeva

Veterinarian

Houseplants that emit volatile organic compounds include, for example, oleander. It is completely saturated with poison. With him you need to be very careful not only animals, but also people. Also among the flowering plants should be noted gloriosa, sedum, adenium, coleus, azalea, cyclamen, ivy, caladium, philodendron and sheffler.

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Non -time Autumn

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Vyuh

9000 3 /0

Azalia

4 /0

Caladium

9000 5 /0

Bulk

How to protect pets

The first and obvious thing is to give up poisonous plants. Even if pets show no interest in them.

The second is to keep plants in separate rooms, for example, on a balcony or loggia, and also to accustom pets to the fact that green in a pot is inviolable.

Anna Kondratieva

Veterinarian

Offer your pets a safe alternative. For example, germinate seeds of cereal plants at home: oats, wheat, rye or barley. You can buy already germinated grass in a pet store, but in this case, you need to carefully choose a conscientious supplier. In addition, make sure that the pet's diet is balanced in trace elements and vitamins, rich in fiber.

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Common ivy

2 /0

Ipomey

3 /0

Lilia Lilia Lilia

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Giacint

5 /0

Lupine

6 /0

Iris

What if the nurse

In veterinary practice, poisoning of animals with indoor plants has become much less common in recent years. Perhaps this is due to the fact that most of the owners switched their pets to dry complete feed and the need for roughage and an additional source of microelements and vitamins decreased in animals.

However, if an animal has eaten an unknown herb and you have reason to believe that the plant is toxic, then you should induce vomiting in the pet and contact your veterinarian immediately.

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Filodendron

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Rhododendron

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Evil -bordered

What are the danger to domestic animals

Many pets are forced to spend a large part of their lives in the walls of the apartment or house. And the desire to get to know domestic plants and flowers (and most often try them by mouth!) is natural. However, such contact may be unsafe. Check if you have plants from this list at home - meeting with them can have disastrous consequences for your pet.

Ksenia Ilchenko

Photo: Unsplash

Don't push your luck and keep your pets away from our list of plants.

Article content

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is extremely beneficial for humans. The pulp and juice of the plant are used to treat diseases of the skin, joints, infections of the upper respiratory tract, digestive disorders, to improve vision and strengthen the immune system.

Alas, what is good for us is poison for animals. If ingested, aloe juice can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, tremors in the limbs, loss of appetite and apathy in pets.

Poinsettia

Poinsettia or "Christmas Star" is an evergreen shrub with a rosette of bright scarlet leaves, giving it a decorative look. In many countries of the world, the flower has long become a symbol of Christmas, since its flowering period falls just at the end of December.

For animals, poinsettia, like all spurges, is toxic. And although deaths are rare, the juice of the plant can cause severe irritation of the stomach and mouth with periods of vomiting - especially in kittens and puppies.

Oleander

Oleander juice is also toxic to humans. But for small children and animals, it is especially dangerous. All parts of the plant contain a cardiac glycoside, a substance that causes severe intestinal colic, bloody diarrhea, increased sweating, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat, muscle tremors and heart failure, which can lead to death.

Lily

Beautiful fragrant lily is a deadly danger for little kittens! The juice of all representatives of lilies, including the tiger lily, which is popular in our country, is toxic for cats and causes acute kidney failure.

Surprisingly, lily is absolutely safe for dogs.

Begonia

This popular garden and house plant is the worst enemy of dogs and cats. If the animal reaches the tuber, which contains the greatest amount of toxic substances, the consequences can be dire. Flower juice can cause irritation of the respiratory system, severe burning in the mouth, increased salivation, vomiting and swelling of the throat.

Asparagus

A plant with fluffy stems covered with hundreds of soft needles is a real temptation for pets. If a cat or dog chews or swallows part of the stem while playing, this can lead to a range of unpleasant symptoms, from allergic dermatitis to vomiting and diarrhea.

Geranium

Geranium has powerful antibacterial properties. In a house where there is a flower pot, seasonal infections occur much less frequently. But for pets, the plant is poisonous. The effect of toxins is very different, including a rash on the skin, a decrease in blood pressure, loss of appetite, and even lethargy.

Hyacinth

Fragrant hyacinths appear in almost every home on the eve of International Women's Day. Their sweetish aroma is a real lure for pets. But such contact can be fatal for them.

Hyacinth tuber juice causes lesions of the mouth and esophagus and severe convulsions, often leading to cardiac arrest.

Caladium

This houseplant attracts animals with its brightly colored leaves. But they should stay away from him. Caladium leaves contain crystals of a toxic substance that can cause severe irritation to your pet's skin and mouth, as well as impaired coordination and breathing.

Azalea

Azaleas (rhododendrons) are not the best choice for a home with cats and dogs.

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