Plants are everywhere and many times people assume that because they are “natural,” most plants are harmless or edible. I can not recall the source, but I once heard more of the plants around us are toxic to people than are safe/edible for people. One should never assume that because it is green, you can eat it.
The same goes for our furry friends. Many of the plants that are common in our environment, whether our gardens or kitchens have at least some level of toxicity to our pets, and many can even be lethal.
A few very common plants that can have adverse effects on your dog are listed below.
Some common kitchen/cooking plants that are poisonous are:
- Black Walnuts
- Grapes (here’s another post on grape toxicity)
- Mushrooms
- Tomato Plants
- Castor Beans (source)
- Onion
- (some intolerance) Garlic (source)
Some common house or garden/landscaping plants that are toxic are:
- Aloe Vera
- Azalea
- Baby’s Breath
- Begonia
- Carnations
- Cyclamen
- Daffodil
- Gladiola
- Ivy
- Morning Glory
- Mums (Chrysanthemums)
- Oleander (known to be highly poisonous to people too)
- Poinsettia
- Rhododendron
- Tulips
- Yew
I can remember having quite a few of these in our garden and yard as kids!
ASPCA has a comprehensive list of the many plants that may be poisonous to your furry friend. Here’s one with photos to identify some commonly encountered plants.
When in doubt, I think it’s safer to assume something is not okay for your pet unless you know that it is, and err on the side of caution when feeding your pet foods from the kitchen and when planting (unless you know your dog has no interest in your garden.)
Also, here’s a helpful list for you as well from a vet clinic.
Stay healthy!
Kelly-ABCDT
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