How dangerous are houseplants for your pets?

If you have a cat or dog that gets into everything, you may be hesitant to grow houseplants. Not only is it a disaster when your furry friend decides to turn a houseplant into a chew toy; It can also be dangerous for your health.

If your pet ingests any houseplants, monitor them closely. If they develop symptoms such as skin irritation, vomiting, lethargy, excessive drooling, or difficulty breathing and swallowing, contact your veterinarian immediately because it could be a life-threatening situation.

Mildly toxic plants

Many common houseplants are toxic to pets, but before you ignore them, remember that toxic does not necessarily mean life-threatening. Here are some common houseplants that are toxic, but generally not life-threatening.

If your pet eats any of these plants, you should monitor them closely to see if they develop symptoms and then contact your veterinarian immediately. My sister’s dog has eaten several plants on this list. She, thankfully, had no effects (and she’s a 12-pound Shih Tzu!). But every dog ​​is different and it’s best to avoid these plants if you don’t trust your dog to stay away.

Some toxicity of plants is exaggerated. You may be surprised to know that poinsettia, although toxic, is not life-threatening to dogs. Poinsettia sap can irritate even humans with a mild rash, so it’s not exactly a “safe” plant. If your dog eats a poinsettia, it may not be a good day for him, but he will probably be fine.

Plants with potentially deadly toxins

Unfortunately, some plants are very dangerous and even a small amount could be life-threatening. Many toxic plants are common outdoors, such as foxglove, spring-flowering bulbs, castor bean, azalea, lily of the valley, oleander, and holly berries. Many of these are toxic even to humans and certainly should not be consumed by pets.

Unfortunately, I have heard of cases of dogs dying because they ingested a cycad, which is a common houseplant that goes by the name “sago palm,” or because they ingested toxic fungi that appeared in the garden after a heavy rain.

Lilies are fatal if left untreated for cats, specifically those of the genus Lilium and the genus Hemerocallis. These include perennial lilies that bloom in spring and summer, Easter lilies, and daylilies. Lilies are often common in flower bouquets. Even licking pollen is very dangerous for cats.

Fortunately, many flowering plants are called “lilies,” but they are not true lilies. For example, peace lilies, while toxic to cats, are not life-threatening. They are not true lilies and are instead related to the philodendrons we talked about earlier. Canna lilies are also not true lilies and are not very toxic.

Safe plants

You can grow houseplants without worrying about your pet’s safety if you grow non-toxic species. The palms are not toxic. This includes common houseplants such as parlor palms. Please note that dangerous cycads like the sago palm are not true palms and are very dangerous to pets.

Here is a list of safe plants: