Your yard may contain a plethora of poisonous plants for dogs. Find the best resources for spotting your garden’s worst offenders.
It’s springtime and all the gardens and parks are abloom. Who can resist the first glorious buds bursting with new life? Certainly, not your dog. Whether he’s a sniffer, a digger, or a voracious chewer, your dog’s idea of communing with nature isn’t always safe. Some of the season’s most common plants are actually toxic to dogs. Thanks to the ASPCA and Cornell University, Woof Report brings you the links to find the garden’s worst offenders.
From the known plant troublemakers like Elephant Ear plants and Azaleas to shockers like Daffodils and Tulips (the bulb being the most toxic part in both) – they’re all here. Even Chrysanthemums made the list. Who knew?
But not to worry, with a little information you can steer your pup away from the culprits. Just make sure to keep your home and yard free of anything on the toxic list and watch closely as he sniffs neighbors’ yards on the way to the dog park. If you’re out on evening walks, a flashlight can help you spy and keep your dog from sampling.
ASPCA List of Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
The list contains plants that have been reported as having systemic effects on dogs and cats and/or intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Search by name here: www.aspca.org/poison-control, and see the common and scientific names and in most cases, a photo of the plant.
Also, view and get a printable list of all plants toxic to dogs: www.aspca.org/dogs-list
The Cornell University Department of Animal Science – Poisonous Plant Index
Like the ASPCA site, it offers a searchable database of plants and whether or not they are toxic to pets, and a useful list of all plants toxic to dogs by category – for instance, houseplants, flower garden plants, plants found in fields.
Plant Identification Apps to the Rescue!
While the ASPCA and Cornell University sites are incredibly useful if you know the name of a given plant, what can you do when you don’t know the name? Get the PictureThis app! Snap a photo of any plant and instantly get its name – it’s that easy. The iOS and Android app identifies 1,000,000+ plants with 98% accuracy. Happy Spring!
Treatment
If you suspect your dog’s already snacked on a problem plant or is ill, call your vet or a 24/7 Animal Poison Control Center. They may recommend a dose of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting and help him recover, so your emergency first-aid kit should include a fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent USP and a turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe to administer the peroxide. But not all plant substances require the same antidote, so please do not try to treat plant poisoning on your own. Your vet or the Animal Poison Control Center should make the call.
Bookmark the links and numbers below to keep the bad buds on the other side of the fence and for fast access just in case.
The Scoop:
24/7 ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
1-888-426-4435, $60 fee may apply. Visit the site.
24/7 Animal Poison Hotline
They offer treatment advice for all types of pets beyond dogs and cats too. Visit the site.
1-855-764-7661, $59 fee may apply.
