Holiday plants can enhance the overall feel of your home this Christmas, but you need to make sure that you are not doing this at the risk of your furry friend. A lot of the season specific plants are dangerous for pets, so you need to ensure that you are taking extra care when decorating this year. If you don’t already know what some of these plants are, then it’s a good thing that you have come across this article because we are going to be looking at some of them down below.
Holly
You should really keep your pets away from all types of holly, but English and Christmas are the worst possible options. Your pet could start experiencing vomiting, diarrhoea and gastrointestinal distress if they consume any of the holly. The leaves can also cause your pet a lot of issues as they can irritate the mouth, causing high levels of discomfort and lead to your pet violently shaking their head trying to get rid of the leaf. This in itself is dangerous, so it’s just best to avoid holly altogether.
Mistletoe
The good thing about this is that it is usually hung high up so there is little chance that your pet will even be able to access it. However, if they do get it, then they could be in for a bad time. The mixture of toxalbumin and phoratoxin viscumin is extremely harmful to pets, especially cats and dogs. Some of the signs to look out for that suggest your dog has had mistletoe are problems with breathing, hallucinations and a drop in blood pressure. However, it has been thought that high levels of this can lead to seizures and even death, so do be careful.
Amaryllis
The bulb is the most dangerous part of this flower rather than the petals or leaves. This part of the plant contains toxins like Lycorine and phenanthridine alkaloids. These are extremely dangerous for your pet and can cause drooling, abdominal pain, vomiting and a decrease in appetite. Tremors have also been linked to this plant. It’s probably best to keep all of these plants out of reach of your pets, and instead let them enjoy the best dry puppy food UK pet owners know and love. You know they won’t be ingesting harmful toxins, and they get a tasty treat.
Pine
Finally, pine is bad for your pets. Fir trees contain particular oils that can irritate your dog’s mouth and stomach, which can cause vomiting and pain. Because of the shape of the needles, your pet could also experience a puncture or obstruction in their digestive tract, which is not going to be a very pleasant experience for them. Also make sure that you aren’t letting your pet ingest the water from this plant because even in small doses, it can do a lot of harm.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know some of the popular holiday plants that are dangerous to pets.