These household plants could cause kidney failure, seizures, and even death for cats and dogs. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
AP
Do you smell that? Spring is in the air, and so are dangers to your cat and dog. Every year, the Animal Poison Control Center is flooded with calls from pet owners whose animals have ingested poisonous plants.
Now that spring foliage is blooming, here are some plants to be mindful of — and what you should do if your cat or dog eats them, according to animal experts with Chewy and the Pet Poison helpline.
Tulips and Hyacinth
The problem with these plants are in the flower bulbs, according to the pet poison helpline. Tulips and hyacinth’s have allergenic parts that can cause drooling, vomiting and diarrhea in your animals. If a cat or dog eats a large amount of them, their heart rate could increase and breathing problems might occur, which need to be treated by a veterinarian, according to pet poison helpline.
These flowers may be found in your spring bouquets or outdoor gardens, according to Chewy, and are part of the Liliacee family— a plant group infamous for poisoning animals.
Lilies
Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies are considered the most toxic types of lilies, especially for cats. Munching on just a few petals could give your cat severe kidney failure, according to pet poison helpline.
Even just licking the pollen from the flowers or drinking water from the vase of lilies could be enough to kill a cat, Dr. Tina Wismer from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)poison control center told Chewy.
Under no circumstances should a cat owner keep deadly lilies around the house, Wismer told Chewy.
Daffodils
Daffodils contain a similar allergenic to tulips, according to the Pet Poison helpline. The toxins can result in vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains and cardiac problems.
There are certain crystals found on the outside of daffodil bulbs that can trigger tissue irritation and drooling in both cats and dogs, the helpline said.
“Cat parents should not keep daffodils or related plants in the house, and should not plant daffodils in the yard if the cat has access. Gardeners must take care to keep daffodil bulbs away from cats,” Chewy reported.
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is known to cause severe reactions in dogs and cats, according to Chewy. The pleasant-smelling white bulbs can cause your animal to have seizures, low blood pressure or slip into a coma.
“Even a small exposure to any part of the plant can cause heart problems for dogs — changes in heart rate and rhythm,” Laura Stern, a veterinarian director with the ASPCA told Chewy.
Crocus
Both kinds of crocus plant — the spring crocus and the autumn crocus- are toxic to cats and dogs, according to the pet poison helpline. The spring crocus will trigger an upset stomach in a pet, but the autumn crocus is much more severe — resulting in kidney damage and respiratory failure.
Sometimes symptoms of crocus poisoning can be delayed for days, the pet poison helpline said, so it’s important to keep an eye on your animal if you suspect it may have come in contact with the plant.
It’s not just these plants
The ASPCA offers a full list of the hundreds of dangerous plants to both cats and dogs.
Other garden-related items might pose a threat to your pet, too, including pesticides and plant fertilizers, the pet poison helpline reminds animal owners. Blood and bone meal organic fertilizer may contain iron, other animal’s blood or cause an obstruction in your pet’s gastrointestinal tract if they eat it.
Rose and plant fertilizers may contain harmful chemicals that could kill your pet. Only one teaspoon of 1% disulfoton, a chemical that fertilizers are sometimes made with, could kill a 55-pound dog, according to the helpline.
In order to keep your home poison-free and healthy for your animals, the pet poison helpline recommends staying educated on what type of plants and fertilizers you keep in your home and garden.
“It is best to familiarize yourself with the list of toxic plants and keep these types of plants out of your home or garden for the health and safety of your pet,” Wismer told Chewy. “Cats are good climbers, so it’s best to move plants to a safe place they cannot access and don’t underestimate their ability to get at things that are high up.”
If owners are concerned, or unsure of a certain plant they own and how it may impact their pet, people can call the Animal Poison Control Center at 855-764-7661.
Alison Cutler is a National Real Time Reporter for the Southeast at McClatchy. She graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and previously worked for The News Leader in Staunton, VA, a branch of USAToday.
