With Spring approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the flowers that can be toxic to our dear furry friends. Some of you may be like me and just got your pup during quarantine of 2020. I am still learning many of the "do's and don'ts" for dogs. So, I thought I would share my latest learnings from the Animal Poison Control Center!
1.) What flower do you think of when you hear spring? For me, it's the tulip. I had no idea that it was toxic to my Sundance. Tulips and hyacinth can both cause severe irritation in the mouth and esophagus. The toxic part of these plants are in the bulbs, rather than the leafy parts. Depending on the amount ingested, symptoms can be vomiting, drooling, or diarrhea. If a large amount is consumed, the Animal Poison Control Center recommends taking your pup to the vet asap.
2. Something I didn't know was that daffodils actually trigger vomiting in our pups. Consumption of them can cause "severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression." The Animal Poison Control Center also recommends seeing a vet for treatment if your pup decides to snack one of these flowers for lunch.
3. I love lilies! Who knew they had an evil side. 🤔 There are multiple types of lilies and some of them are more dangerous than others. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla will result minor drooling. But, beware of the Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies. These ones are highly toxic to cats. Just 2 of these petals can cause you cat to experience kidney failure. If this happens to your precious fur baby, take them to the vet asap.
4. There are two Crocus plants. The first is Crocus Species which blooms in the spring. The second is Colchicum Autumnale, which blooms in autumn. The spring plants are more common and can cause a general upset in gastrointestinal organs including vomiting and diarrhea. Autumn Crocus, are "highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure." If you think you pup might have ingested this flower, take them to the vet asap as signs, like Corona, could be delayed for days.
5. The last is the lily of the valley. Ingestion of this flower will cause symptoms vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and possibly seizures. The Animal Poison Control Center advises that, "pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically."
Hope this helps you lovelies! Did you learn something new like me? Share your thoughts in the comments below!