The 12 Plants That Dog Owners Should Never Have In Their Home Or Garden
Keep your dog safe from harmful plants.
Mohan Nannapaneni / Pexels Spring is a time for renewal and regeneration. Longer days with more sunshine mean spending time outside to marvel at budding trees and blooming plants. Along with spring cleaning, many people use this season to tend to their gardens.
For anyone who has both a green thumb and a dog, there are certain precautions to take when considering which plants to grow.
Here are 12 plants dog owners should never have in their home or garden:
1. Daffodils
Daffodils are early spring bloomers known for their cheery yellow petals, but they’re also super poisonous for pups.
A daffodil bulb is especially toxic, but if your dog eats any part of the plant, they could experience extreme vomiting, drooling, tremors, seizures, heart problems, or respiratory distress.
2. Amaryllis
Amaryllis are naturally spring-blooming bulbs that flower between late winter and the middle of spring. This bright red flower is often tied to Christmas, and many people get these bulbs as gifts during the winter season.
While we see them as festive holiday decorations, amaryllis is toxic for dogs (and cats, as well).
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They contain a compound called lycorine, which is poisonous to our furry friends. Dogs who love to dig are especially at risk, as they might dig up the bulbs you’ve planted to chew on.
If consumed, amaryllis can cause increased salivation, lethargy, and tremors, along with gastrointestinal trouble, like vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and pain. Eating an amaryllis can also cause signs of depression in dogs.
3. Lilies
There are many varieties of lilies, which can make it difficult to remember which kinds are safe and which are not.
Daylilies will give dogs upset stomachs, yet they’re extremely poisonous to our endearingly weird feline friends. Calla lilies contain a substance that causes burns and irritation in dogs’ mouths and their perfect, fuzzy tummies. Eating a calla lily can also cause trouble swallowing.
4. Tulips
Another harbinger of spring, tulips are harmful to dogs, causing anything from vomiting and diarrhea to gastrointestinal bleeding and excessive drooling.
The bulbs of tulips are the most toxic part to pups. If your pup eats a lot of bulbs, they could experience an increased heart rate and irregular breathing.
5. Hydrangeas
These beautiful shrubs have blue, magenta, or purple petals, and they also have high concentrations of toxicity in both their flowers and leaves.
Eating hydrangeas can lead to lethargy and a range of gastrointestinal issues for dogs.
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6. Rhododendron
Rhododendrons contain grayanotoxin, which can cause vomiting, weakness, depression, and heart problems, including cardiac failure.
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7. Aloe Vera
For humans, aloe vera holds skin-soothing properties, but for our canine companions, they can be toxic.
While the aloe gel on its own isn’t poisonous for pups, if your furry friend eats an entire aloe lead, they consume both the gel and aloe latex, which contains toxic saponin compounds.
8. Sago Palm
Sago palm is the most dangerous houseplant for dogs. This popular houseplant has cycasin in it, which can lead to liver failure if your dog bestie ingests it.
The seeds of the Sago Palm are especially toxic: Even if your dog eats just a few seed pods, they could experience acute liver failure. Symptoms of Sago Palm poisoning include decreased appetite, nosebleeds, and intense stomach issues.
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9. Monstera
Another popular houseplant known for its wide, fan-shaped leaves, Monstera belongs to the philodendron family. Like its azalea and rhododendron cousins, it contains insoluble calcium oxalates.
If eaten, they can cause vomiting and swelling in a dog’s mouth, including their lips, tongues, and the back of their throats.
10. Peace Lily
With their shiny leaves and curved white flowers, Peace Lilies are popular plants to have in your home.
They have the same insoluble calcium oxalates as Monstera plants, so a pup’s symptoms after ingestion would be the same: Vomiting, drooling, and burning of mouth and lips.
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11. Snake Plant
These plants are low-maintenance and easy to keep alive, which makes them a solid choice for your living room, but they’re not a great choice to keep around if you’re a dog parent.
Snake plants have saponins that cause stomach problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
12. English Ivy
English Ivy is another common plant for landscaping, but it creates major tummy troubles for dogs, along with excessive drooling.
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It’s important to note that this list of poisonous plants is comprehensive but not complete: Many other plants are toxic to dogs.
If your gardening hobby extends beyond houseplants to cultivating vegetables, you should be aware that certain veggies are toxic to pups, too, including onions, garlic, chives, and leeks, which are all part of the same family.
Tomatoes aren’t totally safe for dogs or cats: The ripe fruit is safe, but the stems, leaves, or unripened green fruit contain solanine and tomatine, which are poisonous glycoalkaloids.
Consider filling your vegetable patch with pet-safe plants like carrots, basil, dill, rosemary, and fennel. You can also use raised beds or hanging planters to deter your pup from digging for danger.
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It’s also important to avoid certain chemicals in your garden, like slug pellets, weed killers, and insecticide, as dogs can walk across the treated areas, then lick their paws and ingest the toxic chemicals.
A good alternative to chemically treating your garden is to use compost, though there are certain precautions to consider when composting, as well. Your compost area should be fenced off or contained, as the fungi that grow in the decomposing plant material can be highly toxic. Avoid putting food in your compost that dogs can’t eat, like onions, garlic, and coffee grounds.
If your precious pup does eat a plant they shouldn’t contact your vet, along with the Pet Poison Helpline, at 855-764-7661. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also runs a 24-hour hotline for pet parents, which can be reached by calling 888-426-4435.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.