Spring, as welcoming and comforting it is, the vibrant bloom sure does come with certain concerns, especially for pet owners. The decision to compromise with having a pretty garden to ensuring your pet's health can be tough, but there are certain things one must keep in mind about their spring-time flora around animals.
Speaking to Mirror Online, BillyOh's garden experts shared a list of plants and flowers that might look and smell stunning, but are actually pretty harmful to the pets – be it dogs, or cats.
1. Potatoes
Be it unripe, or green, or even raw – potatoes are dangerous for dogs; even their leaves are toxic for our furry friends.
2. Tomatoes
Tomato leaves are toxic to both cats and dogs. If you're into growing them, ensure your pets don't get to reach them.
3. Foxtails
These are spikelets carrying seeds of the foxtail grass. They are meant to germinate under the ground, but that doesn't reduce the risk of them entering the animal's body, thus damaging internal organs.
Check your pet's ears, mouth and eyes frequently, especially after a walk. Also try uprooting any foxtails you see sprouting in the garden.
4. Castor Beans
The bean of the castor plant has ricin – a well known poison. But that isn't all as the entire planet's body is known to be toxic.
Even tiny amounts can poison the cat or dog and can cause twitching, tremors, seizures, comas or death.
5. Heavenly Bamboo
The sacred bamboo or the Nandina plant produced pretty red berries that can be extremely dangerous too, containing cyanogenic glycosides, which release hydrogen cyanide upon being chewed.
6. Autumn Crocus
Much like the spring crocus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, all parts of this plant are toxic. It causes liver and kidney damage, seizures and death.
7. Sago Palm
As beautiful these ornamental plants look, they are actually pretty poisonous to cats and dogs. The entire plant poses danger to those animals but its nuts are the worst. In case of ingestion, take your pet to the vet immediately.
8. Azaleas
This type of rhododendrons possesses a poisonous substance called grayanotoxin. It can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and even blindness and comas in cats and dogs.
9. Lilies
Lilies are so toxic for cats that even one leaf or one petal can make them seriously ill. Other than cats, they are also poisonous to dogs and horses as well.
10. Tulips
Being a member of the lily family, they are poisonous to cats, dogs and horses too, quite unsurprisingly so. Tulipalin A and tulipalin B are the two major toxins found in them, along with tulip bulbs.
In case your pet eats any part of the plant, act immediately and get a vet's assistance right away.
