Many of us are anticipating the warmer weather so we can get out in the garden and start planting our favorite flowers. There are some that you should be aware of when it comes to pet toxins.
Tulips and Hyacinth
While the toxic base to these flowers is a bit different. The danger lies within the bulbs rather than the above ground portion of the plants. Chewing on the bulbs can cause oral and esophageal irritation causing drooling, vomiting, or even diarrhea. If a pet ingests a large portion of the bulb, they may also experience an increased heartrate and respiration. These pets need to be treated by a veterinarian.
Daffodils
Consuming any part of the plan can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and possibly cardia arrhythmias or respiratory depression. The bulbs may also cause oral tissue irritation and drooling. Sometimes more severe symptoms arise, so if ingestion is seen, we recommend taking your pet in to a veterinarian.
Lilies
As a whole, it’s safest to just keep lilies out of homes and away from areas that your pets my go. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies cause minor issues like oral tissue irritation resulting in drooling. Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies are all highly toxic to cats! Kidney failure can develop even after eating 2-3 petals. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian.
Crocus
Spring Crocus cause generalized GI upset like vomiting and diarrhea. The Autumn Crocus is highly toxic, causing severe vomiting, GI bleeding, liver and kidney damage and respiratory failure. Clinical signs from ingesting this plan could be delayed for several days; if you see your pet eating these, take them to the veterinarian immediately.
Lily of the Valley
Consuming this plant will cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and possibly seizures. Pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically.
DON’T FORGET - Fertilizers
Most fertilizers are not very toxic producing mild GI upset, but some can be fatal without treatment. A few ingredients of which to be weary:
• Blood meal is dried, ground, and flash-frozen blood and contains 12% nitrogen. It is a great organic fertilizer; but if ingested, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes severe pancreatitis can occur. Some types of blood meal are also fortified with iron, resulting in iron toxicity, so make sure to know what’s in your bag of blood!
• Bone Meal is made up of defatted, dried, and flash-frozen animal bones that are ground to a powder. This “bone” is also what makes it so palatable to your dog, so make sure to keep your pet from digging in it and ingesting the soil. While a great organic fertilizer, it can become a problem when consumed as the bone meal forms a large cement-like bone ball in the stomach – which can cause an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract – resulting in possible surgery to remove it!
• Rose and plant fertilizers may contain disulfoton or other types of organophosphates (OP). As little as 1 teaspoon of 1% disulfoton can kill a 55 lb dog, so be careful! Organophosphates, while less commonly used, can result in severe salivation, tears, urination, and defecation. Also potential seizures, difficulty breathing, and hyperthermia may occur. In some cases it can be fatal!
• Pesticides/Insecticides are basic irritants to the pet and are usually not a huge concern unless a pet’s symptoms become persistent. Some may contain an organophosphate which can be life threatening when consumed in large quantities. It is always best to speak to a trained medical professional if there are any questions.
• Iron is commonly added to fertilizers, and can result in iron toxicity (from ingestion of elemental iron). This is different from “total” iron ingestion, and can be confusing to differentiate. When in doubt, call your veterinarian to find out if the amount ingested was toxic or not. Large ingestions can result in vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and potential cardiac and liver effects.
Have fun and enjoy your garden this spring. But please, keep in mind these plants and fertilizers if your pets have the potential to come in contact with them. If you have any question about potential exposure, don’t hesitate to give us a call.