Poisonous Poinsettia | Holiday Pet Safety

December 9, 2014

Poisonous Poinsettia | Holida Pet Safety

Woo hoo! It’s that time of year again – where everyone is recovering from the online and offline Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness and beginning to prepare for the remainder of the holiday season.   Spirits are high and everyone is getting amped up for another wonderful season with family and friends and oh yes, let’s not forget about our extended family – our furry little friends.

While the holiday season is fun and full of laughter we don’t want to forget about our pets, especially when it comes to holiday hazards!

Probably one of the most significant points and the most important to remember around this time of year is to not leave your cat or dog out in the cold But, there are other posts covering those topics.  So this post will be about something a little less obvious – holiday plants. 

In particular animals of all shapes and sizes have been noted to experience negative side effects - harming the gastrointestinal systems – when having eaten Poinsettia: that beautiful, luscious, intensely red leaved plant that we see everywhere during the holiday seasons. 

But don’t worry! Some things can be hyped up to more than they really are and although you should be careful and make sure your pets can’t get to your poinsettia plants – it isn’t necessary that dangerous if they do, so don’t panic!

I once had a little Degu (a South America rat) that was just the cutest little thing you ever did see! We would let him run around the house and one day during the holidays he happened upon a dried up poinsettia leaf and quickly ate up the whole thing! But, he ended up being totally fine – phew!

If your pet has eaten poinsettia then look for the following signs of poisoning:

  • Vomiting, even if mild.
  • Drooling.
  • Diarrhea.

Of course, there are many other plants that can be poisonous as well.  Check out this super comprehensive list of plants that could be poisonous to your pet:

ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants

Sources:

Author: Aileen Schultz

Photo credit: Sakurako Kitsa via photopin cc