Keep Your Dogs Away From These Plants This Spring
With the start of spring, plants are coming out of their winter hibernation. As spring starts and summer approaches, make sure you keep an eye on the plants that your dog encounters. Although it is perfectly fine for your dog to chow down on some grass, other plants are not as friendly to their digestive system.
N-Propyl Disulfide
N-propyl disulfide is a component that is commonly found in plants from the onion family, such as
- Onions
- Green onions
- Leeks
- Shallots
- Garlic
In large doses, the n-propyl disulfide in these plants can cause your dog to become nauseated and can induce vomiting. It can also affect your dog's circulatory system, causing them to experience a cardiac arrhythmia and develop anemia. It can even cause blood to be in your dog's urine.
Keep these garden plants away from your dog, and don't feed your dog human-food items that contain any ingredients from the onion family.
Saponinis
Saponinis is a natural occurring component that is found in the following plants:
- Aloe
- Buckeye
- English ivy
- English holly
- Nightshade plants
- Hosta plants
Of all the plants listed above, the biggest threat to your dog is aloe. With the return of the sun, many individuals use aloe and aloe-based products to treat sunburns soothe their skin. It is extremely important that you keep any aloe products in your house away from your dog, and that you don't use aloe-based products on your dog.
If some aloe goes missing, or you notice your dog chewing on any of the plants listed above, watch out for these following signs your dog has been poisoned:
- Dark urine
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Muscle spasms
Rhododendrons & Azaleas
You may be surprised to learn that these two common plants are extremely poisonous to your dog. Make sure your dog does not eat or consume these plants. Even ingesting only a few mouthfuls of leaves from a rhododendron or azalea bush can kill your dog.
If your dog consumes these plants, you should almost immediately see warning signs, such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and drooling. You may even witness more serious signs such as lethargy, shock, paralysis, heart failure, and coma.
Make sure your dog stays away from all types of onions, aloe plants, rhododendrons, and azaleas this spring. If you suspect your dog has ingested any of the plants listed above, or you see your dog ingest them, call your local vet or animal hospital right away. They will let you know what to do. In some cases, they may encourage you to induce vomiting. In all cases though, they will suggest you get to a vet or animal hospital like North Lexington Veterinary Clinic as quickly as possible. Poisoning is nothing to mess around with.