dog health Archives

As a pet parent, you do your best to ensure your dog stays safe indoors and out. You do what you can to ensure you raise happy and healthy dogs. That includes ensuring your dog doesn’t eat something that could make them ill, including common plants that are toxic to dogs. Common trees, plants shrubs, flowers and herbs that we love could be dangerous to dogs if they ingest them.

Toxicity depends on a few things, including how much of the plant your dog eats, as well as the part of the plant that they ingest. Leaves, bulbs, nuts and flowers contain different levels of toxicity not only to animals but also to humans.

If your dog ingests something that you know or suspect is toxic, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s animal poison control hotline.

Outdoor Plants That Are Toxic to Dogs

Many flowers, trees, and shrubs can pose a danger to dogs. Let’s start with outdoor plants, shrubs and flowers that are toxic to dogs, and then we’ll list indoor plants. The final section contains a list of plants that are safe, or non-toxic, to dogs (Source: ASPCA).

Trees toxic to dogs

Did you know that apple trees can be poisonous to dogs? It’s bad enough that apple seeds contain cyanide (though not enough to be lethal), but the leaves are toxic to dogs as well, making it twice as dangerous for your pet. Other trees you need to mindful of include:

Black walnut
Bergamot orange
Chinaberry
Fruit trees, including apple, apricot, avocado, cherry, peach, and plum
Horse chestnut or buckeye
Japanese yew
Nut trees

Shrubs poisonous to dogs

If you have shrubbery around your yard, you may want to take a second look to make sure they aren’t poison plants for dogs. Common shrubs you can buy at your local nursery are some of the most lethal plants for dogs, cats, and humans, like the notorious Oleander.

Azalea
Holly
Hydrangea
Ivy
Oleander
Peony
Rhododendron
Sago palm

Flowers toxic to dogs

If you have a dog that digs and chews your garden, you might want to avoid these flowers, or plant them in areas where your dog doesn’t roam.

Autumn crocus
Begonia
Chrysanthemum
Clematis
Daffodil
Dahlia
Foxglove
Gardenia
Geranium
Hosta
Hyacinth
Iris
Lavender
Lily
Lily of the valley
Tulip

Garden plants poisonous to dogs

If you’re a gardener, take note. Some of your garden staples are not good for Fido. Fence in your garden area or plant your garden goodies in pots out of the reach of your dog.

Chives
Garlic
Hops
Leeks
Marijuana
Onions
Rhubarb
Shallots
Tomato plants

Herbs toxic to dogs

When you think about what plants are dogs allergic to you probably don’t think about herbs. These culinary and medicinal must-haves can be dangerous to your dog. If you want to grow these herbs, be sure to plant them in a fenced area that your dog cannot enter or in pots out of your dog’s reach.

Borage
Caraway
Chamomile
Lemongrass
Lemon verbena
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Sorrel
Tarragon

Weeds poisonous to dogs

Some weeds, not surprisingly, are toxic to dogs. While it can be difficult to rid your yard of these pesky plants, it’s important that you do.

Bittersweet nightshade
Creeping charlie
Yellow dock

Indoor Plants That Are Toxic to Dogs

Poisonous indoor plants for dogs

Nothing like bringing the outside in. Brightening up your home with houseplants is common. However, those ferns that live in your living room or dining room may very well be poisonous houseplants for dogs. If your plants are on the dangerous list, either put them someplace your dog is not permitted or remove them from your home.

Aloe vera
Asparagus fern
Bird of paradise
Chinese evergreen
Corn plant
Desert rose
Dumb cane
Devil’s ivy or pothos
Elephant ear
Jade plant
Peace lily
Philodendron
ZZ plant

Plants Not Toxic to Dogs

Now that you have some idea of what plants to avoid with dogs, you might be wondering what plants are safe for dogs. Thankfully, there are plenty of plants that pose no danger to your canine friend. Here are plants deemed non-toxic:

African violet
Areca palm
Baby rubber plant
Baby’s breath
Baby tears
Basil
Boston fern
Blue echeveria
Burro’s tail
Camellia
Cast-iron plant
Christmas cactus
Coral bell
Creeping thyme
Dill
Fennel
Fuchsia
Garden marigold
Haworthia
Magnolia bush
Nasturtium
Parlour palm
Phalaenopsis orchids
Pineapple sage
Polka dot plant
Ponytail palm
Prayer plant
Purple basil
Rosemary
Snapdragon
Spider plant
Sunflower
Swedish ivy
Wax plant

What to Do if Your Pet Gets into Toxic Plants

By no means is this list exhaustive. For a complete list of what plants are toxic to dogs, non-toxic plants, images, and the plants’ scientific names, visit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Depending on the plant, its poison can cause the following symptoms:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Seizures
Blood in the stool
Lethargy
Irregular heartbeat
Inability to urinate
Anemia

If your dog finds his way into any one of the listed plants poisonous to dogs or shows any of the above signs of potential poisoning, you must immediately call your vet. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435 is also an excellent resource that offers information 24/7 hours a day, 365 days a year.

What do food, friends, family, and your physician have in common? Together they are partly responsible for helping you stay happy and healthy. Surrounding yourself with loved ones, practicing proper nutrition, and minding your physical health add to your overall well-being.

Dogs, too, need the love and support of those around them to live their best life. And of course, regular visits to the vet help your dog stay well. Here are a few tips to ensure your dog stays as happy and healthy as possible.

1. Socialize Your Dogs and Puppies

That’s right, just like when you need to get out to enjoy time with your friends, so does your dog. Socializing with fellow pups offers a host of benefits, including easing anxiety, encouraging good behaviors, promoting fitness, and fostering friendships.

Socializing puppies: It’s best to introduce your dog to people and other dogs when he’s around three to four months old.

Socialize a nervous dog: However, if your dog is older and hasn’t had exposure to others, socializing him is essential to his health. Use caution as you introduce him to others one at a time, never leave your dog alone with children, and reward good behavior with treats and plenty of praise.

2. Keep Calm and Avoid Yelling at Your Dog

Honestly, it’s hard to prevent a freakout when your dog shreds your favorite slippers or tears through a bag of garbage, but yelling at your dog could make things worse. Before you raise your voice, know that your dog can read facial expressions and negative commands, so learn to use these to your advantage.

A recent study in BioRxiv demonstrates, dogs subjected to scary behavior and negative commands were likely to suffer from long-term stress and lower overall cognitive abilities. If your dog is displaying a behavior you don’t like, it’s time to reassess what you could’ve done to help prevent the situation.

Maybe trade your slippers in for a chew toy your dog can enjoy or keep your garbage can closed and locked and take the trash out before your dog can get into it. Remember, before your next blow up, do yourself and your dog a favor, keep calm and carry on.

3. Learn the Language of Dogs

While it’s believed dogs have the mental capacity of a two-and-a-half-year-old, dogs can learn language through repetition. Keep it simple. You know the words: ball, walk, sit, treat, or stay.

It’s playtime — repeat the words you want to associate with it, such as “toy” or “play.”
Exercise time — repeat the word “walk” so your dog recognizes the word when it’s time to go for walks.
Sit and stay — when your dog is sitting or staying, say things like “Good sit” or “Good stay” and reward with treats.

Canines recognize human emotion from your tone and body language, so when you get the chance, be present, and hold a relaxed conversation with your dog.

4. Feed Your Dog Healthy Treats

Feeding your dog a high-quality diet reinforces his overall health and well-being. So is occasionally giving in to his puppy eyes, and sliding him some table scraps or treats (as long as they make up less than 10% of his diet).

5. Never Stop Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

Training your dog is a lot more than just teaching him how to follow commands. Learning something new is good for his concentration, flexibility, stamina, and balance; plus, it’s a great way to strengthen the bond between the two of you. Even as he gets older, training can go a long way to keeping your dog active, agile, and alert.

6. Tame Your Dog’s Jealousy

Yep, just like humans, man’s best friend can appear jealous when their owners pay more attention to another person or pet. While your devoted companion may not go full-tilt green monster, he can display any number of unhealthy jealous-like behaviors such as growling, hissing, or worse getting into a fight with another pet.

There are a few things you can do to address jealousy and help your dog maintain his coolness and mental wellness. For pet parents with more than one dog, avoid giving too much attention to one pet over another, and separate toys and mealtimes if needed. Be sure to give recognition and praise when your dog behaves well.

7. Keep Your Dog Happy When Home Alone

Leaving your dog home alone while you’re at work — especially when they may be used to having you around for long periods of time — can stress your dog. Yet, you have no choice, right? You have to work!

Dogs have a sense of time and can suffer from separation anxiety when their owners leave. While you may think your dog is calm and collected in his crate or on the couch while you’re at work, he may, in fact, be stressing out and feeling lonely.

To help prevent health-related issues from this daily dose of solitude, try to return home consistently at the same time (or as close as possible). If you aren’t able to get back around the same time, ask someone to check in on your dog and spend a few minutes with him.

You might enlist the help of a neighbor you trust, or look into one of the many dog-walking services. Make sure you choose a service that does full background checks on their walkers.

8. Your Scent May Calm Your Dog

One trick that might help your dog’s anxiety while you’re gone or during other stressful events like thunderstorms or fireworks, involves leaving a piece of your clothing or something that smells like you with your dog. Your scent alone can help ease your dog’s fears.

9. Take Your Dog for Scent Walks

Keep your dog happy AND fit by taking them on regular “scent walks.”

Dog sniffing is normal behavior. They rely on their sense of smell to understand their environment. Whether it’s to sniff out a new walking trail or fellow canine, a dog’s nose knows. With hundreds of millions of scent receptors in their noses, a dog is wired for smell; it’s their way of gathering relevant information about their surroundings. Be sure to let your dog sniff for mental stimulation and so he can stay on top of what’s going on in his world.

While walks for exercise are important, so are scent walks, which exercise their sense of smell and allows their brains to analyze their findings. Dogs are data analysts!

10. Take a Trip

While keeping up with all vet appointments is crucial to your dog’s health, a trip to the vet makes just about any dog shake and shiver, and may even stress out their owners. To help reduce your dog’s fear of visiting the vet, take him on plenty of car rides that don’t end up with him getting poked and prodded. As always, treats and toys also help.

These are just a few tips about how to keep your dog healthy and live longer. For more advice on raising happy and health dogs, explore our blog.

Tag: dog health

Avoid These Common Plants Toxic to Dogs