House plants that are poisonous for your pets

House plants that are poisonous for your pets

Plants do a great job bringing much-needed greenery, reducing air pollutants, and enhancing the overall appearance of our indoor spaces. However, there is a number of plants, both indoor and outdoor varieties, which are harmful and quite toxic to your pets, and that is something to be mindful of on your next plant-shopping trip. 

If plants boost your mood just as much as your furry babies do, we are here to let you know that you can still have the best of both worlds. As long as you know which plants to avoid, you will enjoy your indoor green space in no time, whilst ditching all fears about your pet’s safety. We'll cover some of the main ones here.

 

 Veggies in your garden?

If you're growing veggies and fruits in your garden, it’s best to eliminate your pet’s access to tomatoes and chives in particular, although tomatoes are not dangerously toxic, ingesting the green parts of this plant in large amounts can still pose some health risks. As for the chives, they are part of the Allium family, which includes onion and garlic, that alone is a fair explanation of how damaging chives can be to your pet’s red blood cells.  

 

Aloe vera 

You might have Aloes at home for their various medicinal and cosmetic uses, but they’re certainly not as great for cats or dogs. If consumed by your pet, they can cause vomiting and diarrhea. So keep your sunburn and hair care miracle plant somewhere away from your pet. 

 

Beautiful Lilies

It is sad to say but otherwise useful to know that most Lilies are harmful to pets in case of ingestion, some are even poisonous. Take the Fire lily for example, also known as the flame lily, this plant had been associated with paralysis in pets, kidney failure, and even death in extreme cases, so be cautious of all types of lilies.

 

Cactus

Usually, pets are not tempted to munch on cactus. However if your pet likes a challenge, you might want to keep these plants away from their sight if it’s not possible to get rid of them altogether. Whether they have been ingested or gotten stuck to their paws and faces, the thorns and spikes of this plant can pose a serious threat to your pet. 

 

Philodendron

Due to their big beautiful leaves and bright green color, Philodendrons are now some of the most common houseplants. Nevertheless, if they made it on this list, it is because of their mild toxicity, as their ingestion might result in some clinical problems, such as irritation of the mouth and lips, tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty in swallowing. 

As previously mentioned, the number of plants to avoid is quite significant, and since we cannot cover that large list of plants along with their side effects, we urge you to do some research in case you consider purchasing any of the plants in the following list.