These Christmas Plants Are Toxic To Pets
Pets will eat just about anything: shoes, grass, sticks, Amazon boxes, paychecks, Diet Coke cans - and that's just what my own two dogs have gnawed on over the years. But cats and dogs' adventurous tastes can prove especially worrisome around the holidays when you add Christmas decorations to the veritable buffet of inedible objects.
Mistletoe, holly, and Christmas trees (both real and fake) can all send your four-legged friends to the vet - and those bills from the 24-hour emergency vet will dampen your holiday cheer real fast.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center's phone number is 1-888-426-4435.
"When you bring plants into the house, it's important to know what you're bringing in before an animal can get to it," advises Dr. Tina Wismer, Medical Director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Poinsettias - a common fear among pet owners - actually prove less toxic than many other potted plants you'll find this time of year.
Here's what you need to keep an eye on between the eggnog drinking and cookie decorating.
Mistletoe
While two mistletoe species exist, you'll usually find the American kind dangling over your head at a holiday party. Unwanted smooches aside, the real problem is when sprigs end up on the floor within reach of pets.
Just one bite has the potential to make cats and dogs sick - usually in the form of vomiting followed by lethargy. If your pet vomits and you suspect poisoning from any kind of plant, take away food and water for a couple hours to let the stomach settle, advises Dr. Wismer. Continued vomiting means it's time to see a veterinarian straight away.
Holly
"Holly can cause an issue two different ways," says Dr. Wismer "First, if it has the little points on it, that can be very mechanically irritating to the stomach and cause vomiting. But the holly also does contain compounds called saponins, which are soap-like and cause severe stomach irritation."
The combination can lead to blood in the vomit - a sure sign your dog or cat needs professional medical care. Vets can administer medications to stop the vomiting, provide IV fluids, or use "stomach protectors." These drugs work twofold to reduce the acidity of the stomach and create a protective coating over irritated and ulcerated areas.
Christmas Trees
Pine, fir, or spruce, any evergreen contains small amounts of essential oils that makes it smell great but hard on an unsuspecting stomach. The real danger though is consuming a big volume. If your pet acquires a taste for trees (either real or fake), enough needles can form a wad in the GI tract and cause an obstruction.
Fortunately this is pretty rare - Dr. Wismer has only seen it five or six times in more than two decades of practicing - but it is life-threatening and will require surgery. To discourage your dogs from chewing on needles, skip food-based decorations like popcorn garlands and salt-dough ornaments. Cat owners, leave the long strands of tinsel in the box. The irresistible shiny-ness proves hard for feline to resist, and they can cause dangerous obstructions as well.
Lilies
Picking out a pretty bouquet for someone on your wishlist? Think twice about sending one to a cat owner. The gorgeous white and stargazer lilies popular in floral arrangements this time of year prove especially toxic to felines.
Just brushing up against the plant and then grooming the pollen off can cause kidney failure, let alone taking an actual bite. Your best bet: Send a non-toxic Christmas cactus. The equally festive potted plant will last a lot longer than a week too.
Amaryllis
The pretty blooms and tall slender stalks won't send your pet to the hospital, but the bulbs will. Toxins in the parts below the dirt can cause vomiting with or without blood and potentially low blood pressure - necessitating a trip to the vet. While mild stomach upset is possible, you can rest easier if your pet just took a bite out of the flowers or leaves.
Poinsettias
Ready for some the good news? The supposed toxicity of this Christmas classic is nothing more than an old wives' tale, Dr. Wismer says. While eating a few leaves can cause mild stomach upset, the rumors of its fatal effects are overrated.
Your best bet in general: Leave Christmas flowers and plants in a separate, closed-off room until the holiday party starts.
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