Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
Pretty plants and flowers make great gifts to give or receive around the holidays. This time of year, garden nurseries and grocery stores sell potted plants and flowers festively-wrapped and ready to go as quick and easy hostess gifts. You may even decide to pick one up for yourself. But use caution when bringing new plants home to live with you. Your curious pets may want to sample your gifts with disastrous results. Keep toxic plants far from the paws of your fur babies and choose non-toxic options for a safe and joyous holiday.
Kissing your sweetheart under the mistletoe might send your heart a flutter, but it could send your pet to the animal hospital. If your pet ingests American mistletoe, it could cause vomiting, diarrhea, difficult breathing, and a low heart rate—and there’s nothing romantic about that! Some of the most popular holiday plants such as poinsettia, holly, amaryllis, peace lily, and paperwhites are also toxic to pets. So be sure to keep these out of the reach of your furry friends.
Don’t forget about plants that you may have brought in from the garden to overwinter indoors. Geraniums, begonias, and oleander are all toxic for your pets and should be kept in a place that will not be accessible by your pets.
If you do suspect that your pet may have ingested something toxic, time is of the essence. Dr. Kimberlee Glenn, of Absecon Veterinary Hospital and Emergency Service, says, “Bring your pet to the vet right away, even if you think it ate something hours ago. There are still things a veterinarian can do to lessen the toxin absorption and help diminish the damage. With many ingestions, we will ask the owner or we will call the ASPCA toxin hotline, and set up a case number since they have a huge database for the best recommended treatment protocols. They will follow the case throughout the process and give advice. There is a fee, but it is well worth it.”
If you’d like to avoid some of this holiday stress, you can choose among some of the many non-toxic options when it comes to indoor plants. Though the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) warns “that the consumption of any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset for dogs and cats”, they do offer safer alternatives on their website aspca.org. The suggested plants on the ASPCA’s list are rated as either non-toxic or those that may cause symptoms of mild GI upset if ingested but “are not expected to be life-threatening to your pets.” When in doubt, search the ASPCA’s website for the plant in question, to determine if the plant is safe for your pet.
Fortunately, one particular holiday favorite, Christmas cactus, is listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats. This tropical plant can live for decades and provides bursts of color with exotic flowers in cheery shades of pink and red. Depending on the variety, you can also find Thanksgiving cactus and Easter cactus. Each can be identified by the unique shape of its leaves—or you can just wait and see when it blooms.
Some other non-toxic options are spider plant, Boston fern, phalaenopsis orchid, African violet, American rubber plant, gerbera daisy, and parlor palm. So you don’t have to settle for fake silk or plastic flowers to keep your pets safe. Consider some of these alternatives when giving gifts to pet owners, for a happy holiday with a little less drama.
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year hot-line. If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call 1-800-426-4435.
