Your pets are like your children. When you let them outside, it's almost inevitable that they're going to get in to something they shouldn't. However, pet parents need to be careful to not let cats or dogs eat certain plants.
Eating poisonous plants is the number two toxin for cats, and ranks in the top five for dogs. And since pets don’t know which plants they should leave alone while on their daily patrol around their home, pet parents need to pay attention for them.
There are more than 700 poisonous or toxic outside plants that pets need to stay away from so it’s important to learn what grows in your yard, neighborhood and garden to help keep your pets safe. We provide a list here of some of the more common weeds, plants and flowers you should keep out of your yard. For more information on toxic outside plants, please check out this site.
Plant Education Improves Pet Safety
According to pet food brand Canidae, here are some wild growing plants, shrubs, grasses and weeds to watch out for are:
- Velvet Grass
- Sorghum
- Nightshade
- Pokeweed
- Smart Weeds
- Baneberry
- Holly
- Bloodroot
- Buttercup
- Chockcherries
- Corn Cockle
- Cowbane
- Mayapple
- Day Lily
- Morning Glory
- Monkshood
- Poison Hemlock
- Skunk Cabbage
Garden plants your pet shouldn’t chew on include:
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Rhubarb
- Onions
Some garden flowers and outside plants that are toxic to pets are :
- Crocus
- Day Lilies
- Tiger Lilies
- Daffodils
- Narcissus
- Clematis
- Foxglove
- Morning Glor
- Lily of the Valley
If your pet does eat a toxic plant, it’s important to know what part of the plant they ate and how much they ate. Symptoms to watch out for include sudden vomiting, diarrhea, heavy panting or breathing, acting like they are depressed and have no energy. Call your vet immediately if you suspect your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have.
