Adopting a four-legged friend in your family means taking care of him, loving him and protecting him from all sorts of dangers. Despite the many precautions used, however, it often happens that the threat is right inside the house. The ornamental plants that decorate the garden or the room can be harmful to the health of dogs and cats , which being pets have lost their ability to recognize danger. The simple contact with some plants can cause even very serious discomfort.
The top ten poisonous plants for pets
The most common plants are generally also the most insidious for the health of animal friends, among the most lethal we find the following:
1. Ivy
Belonging to the Araliaceae family , ivy is a climbing plant that grows in height but also in length, it is usually used to embellish gardens or adorn walls and walls . Dogs and cats in contact with this plant can experience symptoms ranging from nausea , diarrhea and vomiting , but if it were to be ingested in large quantities it could cause tremors and respiratory failure . If you do not help promptly, the animal could die.
2. Azalea
It is part of the Ericaceae group , it is a plant that is characterized by its lively and colorful flowering, due to its beauty it is used to enrich gardens and terraces. Azalea is definitely dangerous, if its leaves or nectar are chewed, even in small doses, they can cause heart , respiratory and neurological damage , causing the death of the dog or cat.
3. Oleander
Shrub consisting of a pleasant bloom, white or pink, belongs to the Apocynaceae family . It is a very common plant in our country, making parks and public areas pleasant. If ingested the Oleander is harmful both to man and poisonous to animal friends . Even small amounts can cause serious effects, such as nausea , vomiting and cramps , leading to arrhythmia and heart disease .
4. Cyclamen
Winter plant par excellence, characterized by a great resistance to low temperatures and a splendid flowering. This plant is chosen to decorate balconies and terraces in the colder months , its flowers show off different colors from white to red, but also purple and pink. Cyclamen contains two substances that are toxic to the health of dogs, cyclamine and saponin , which are found mainly in the bulb of the plant. The flowers, if chewed, lead to convulsions and various gastrointestinal disorders , even of serious entity, which can lead to the death of the dog.
5. Dieffenbachia
One of the most common evergreen houseplants , consisting of large leaves, suitable for filling and livening up the interiors. However, these plants are definitely irritating for animal friends, especially for cats , which in contact with the leaves, torso and roots, manifest erythema and vesicles . If it is chewed or swallowed it even causes swelling , vomiting , diarrhea and episodes of hyper salivation .
6. Philodendron
Another indoor plant , with a delightful appearance, but with a high level of danger, is the philodendron . A poisonous plant for animal friends, specifically for cats . The sap present in the leaves, petioles and roots causes irritation of the oral cavity in felines . Like all poisonous plants, its burdensome effects are intensified during the chewing and ingestion phase of the parts of the plant itself.
7. Rate
It is one of the most poisonous plants for animal friends , both dogs and cats. It is generally known as a death plant , due to its paralyzing and narcotic effects , which are manifested once even a small amount of its leaves, branches or seeds have been ingested. From nausea to convulsions , up to the blockage of the nervous and respiratory systems , the more the plant is mature and the more lethal it becomes.
8. Hydrangea
Hydrangea is one of the most common plants in the gardens and terraces of the house , its colorful corollas are as fascinating as they are poisonous for four-legged friends. The negative effects are perceived and manifested by cats , which upon contact with the flower react with diarrhea and vomiting , while if they were to ingest them they could have respiratory problems even of serious entity.
9. Holly
The splendid winter plant, the undisputed symbol of the Christmas holidays, is certainly harmful for the health of pets , but also for the safety of humans. The leaves in addition to being pungent, also contain poisonous substances , likewise the red berries . If the latter are ingested in small numbers, they cause fatigue and loss of appetite for the animals , while if taken in more than twenty , they can lead to the death of the four-legged friend .
10. Christmas star
It is another poisonous plant for animal friends. The poinsettia contains a very irritating latex for dogs and cats , if ingested it causes vomiting , diarrhea and inflammation of the stomach and intestines .
Effects of poisonous plants on humans
Not all plants that are poisonous to animal friends are also poisonous to humans. Many substances present in these plants pose a real danger to dogs and cats, but are totally harmless for the human species . Among the ten plants poisonous for animal friends, previously listed, only two, namely the Oleander and the Holly , are harmful to humans. The first is a shrub with a luxuriant flowering every month of the year , the poisonous substance is oleandrin, which is present in all parts of the plant. Toxins are also transmitted through contact of the plant with water or in case of combustion . The symptoms are contact irritation , but also gastritis , nausea and vomiting . Holly, on the other hand, concentrates in the berries all the substances harmful to human health: theobromine , ilixanthin and ilicin , which cause vomiting, nausea and loss of appetite .
How to prevent contact of poisonous plants with animals
Pets, especially puppies, are very curious and playful, their innate energy pushes them to explore; however, their liveliness can often be compromised by the presence of poisonous plants. Both indoors and out, our four-legged friends could come into contact with these plants that are extremely dangerous for their health and for their life. One of the most important precautions to use, when going for a walk with your pet, is to know the different types of potentially lethal flora, so as to effectively prevent contact. As for domestic environments, it is not necessary to deprive oneself of fragrant and aesthetically pleasing ornamental plants, it will be enough to simply find alternative solutions. Maybe it is possible to store the pots in high shelves and not easily reachable by pets, in outdoor balconies , rather than on the floor. If you have a garden or terrace, it could create an intrusion-proof barrier. In case of contact it is vital to warn the veterinarian , the sooner you intervene and the better the chance of recovery the puppy will have.
