2 minute read
Pets and Plants
Pets& Plants
By Cathy Shouse
If home is where the heart is, pets are often right next to our hearts for the companionship they provide. Just as parents will child-proof a home, pet owners should consider how their plants will mix with their pets.
The information about pets and plants can be confusing. Humans may react differently to exposure to various materials, and it’s the same with pets. The most important tips are to know your pet and to supervise them. Some pets will chew and ingest anything, especially when they are young.
Although poinsettias and snake plants, or mother-in-law’s tongue, are not good for pets, they are typically not fatal under normal circumstances, unless an animal consumed a massive quantity.
Indiana author Sheri Ann Richerson wrote “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Seed Saving and Starting”, as well as “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Year-Round Gardening” and is also a homesteader.
“I would never ban a plant altogether because of pets,” Richerson said. “Toxic plants are best kept up high, out of reach and positioned so falling leaves and petals do not fall low enough for a pet to reach. It is best to immediately pick up all plant debris and dispose of it someplace a pet cannot get to.”
She described an experience where her dog got into a plant that wasn’t good for him. “When Precious Angel was a couple months old he managed to get a Brugmansia leaf (an angel’s trumpet flower) that fell on the floor and escaped my watchful eye,” she said. “I knew the plant was toxic and dangerous to humans as well as pets. I called my vet suspecting I was going to lose my puppy. He asked how long ago this happened. I said it just happened and I removed all plant debris from his mouth. He said get hydrogen peroxide and give him one capful at a time until he throws up. It took a couple capfuls. He threw up plant material but he was fine. I always keep hydrogen peroxide on hand now. It saved my puppy.”
“The ASPCA has a great list of toxic and non-toxic plants,” Richerson said. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxicand-non-toxic-plants
The following website has a discussion on the subject, as well as a way to get a printed booklet. https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/ yardandgarden/some-plants-are-poisonous/ n Photos: Shutterstock.com
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