How to Keep Your Pets Safe from Toxic Plants
An ER vet tells you which natural beauties to avoid and offers safer swaps for your four-legged companions.
Photos courtesy VEG ER for Pets
The summer months bring along a slew of new threats for our beloved pets, and Dr. Liane Merrittt, the medical director at Winter Park-based VEG ER for Pets has seen it all—from dogs undergoing surgery after ingesting rocks, to cats consuming toxic lily pollen, simply by grooming themselves after rubbing against the bloom.
Merritt says most cases can be prevented with two steps: education and supervision.
“A lot of people don’t know what’s toxic and what’s not toxic,” says Merritt. “A lot of the stuff we see in the ER is because of the [lack of] education. Education is the most important thing, so we can prevent emergencies from happening.”
The most common culprits of toxic plant ingestion cases that Merritt sees in the ER include Sago palms, tulips, hydrangeas, azaleas and lilies. While dog and cat owners alike should be wary of all the threats listed, cat parents’ homes, in particular, should be a lily-free zone.
“We’re so afraid during Easter because we always see tons of Easter lilies,” she says. “Every part of the plant is toxic…and it’s a true emergency if they chew on a leaf. So, lilies are really scary.”
Merritt’s biggest tip for preventing toxin ingestion is replacing any risks with pet-safe plants, like succulents, orchids, spider plants; herbs like rosemary, basil, and parsley; and carnivorous plants, like Venus flytraps—unless your pet is a fly, of course.
To protect your pets against outdoor threats, she advises against leaving your pets unsupervised outside.
“We see dogs in the ER that eat rocks, or eat mulch or sand,” Merritt says. “All that is an emergency, right? So if you’re out there supervising, preventing that from happening, that’s the key, because you’d be surprised what these dogs eat.”
Photos courtesy VEG ER for Pets
In the event of the ingestion of toxic or foreign materials, Merritt recommends following these three steps:
1. Identify the symptoms: hyper salivation, vomiting, diarrhea and/or lethargy.
2. Attempt to identify the culprit and take a photo for identification.
3. Contact your nearest emergency veterinary provider.
At VEG ER for Pets, she says, pet owners have 24/7 access to doctor knowledge over the phone or in-person. If your pet is showing any of the symptoms listed above, she urges you to bring them in as soon as possible.
“You need early recognition, sometimes we can induce vomiting and get it up,” Merritt says. “The sooner, the better, and then we can start treating their GI symptoms or what other symptoms that we see with that type of plant, because some of them can be fatal.”
Photos courtesy VEG ER for Pets
