When Pax was a little puppy, we noticed that he kept ripping leaves of our dracaena plant. We would find the leaves scattered around the house. At the same time, we saw he would throw up or have an upset tummy while displaying lethargy. When we went to the vet, they ruled out all parasites and other possibilities. I shared with our vet about the dracaena plant, and she let me know that it is mildly toxic to dogs and we should move the plant.
Luckily I am a black thumb and have a lot of fake plants in my house, but I do have three real ones. A fiddle leaf fig “figgy cent” who has since past (rest in peace), a snake plant, and the dracaena. Once I learned that specific plants could be dangerous for Pax, I began to research the ones we could not have in the house. Also, I just decided that being black thumb suited me and I’ll stick to the fake ones :)
Please be mindful with purchasing new plant babies and introducing them to your furry baby some of them can cause serious effects.
Here are just 12 toxic plants to dogs:
1. Autumn Crocus
2. Azalea flowers
3. Daffodil flowers
4. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) houseplant
5. Tulip (especially the bulb)
6. Sago Palm (extremely poisonous)
7. Dracaena Plant
8. Fiddle leaf fig
9. Snake Plant
10. Ivy
11. Pathos (Devil’s Ivy)
12. Caladium (Elephant’s ear)
IF YOU ARE A GREEN THUMB! Don’t fret! There are dog-friendly plants to fill your house with :) Not all dogs eat plants or flowers so you may not even need to worry. However, just in case, make sure you know which plants are toxic vs. non-toxic and the signs to look for.
Here are some SAFE plants for dogs!
1. Windmill Palm
2. Purple Basil
3. African Daisy
4. Creeping Rosemary
5. Heuchera (Coral Bells)
6. Pineapple Sage
7. Polka Dot Plant
8. Canna Lily
9. Fennel
10. Snapdragons
For more questions take a look at the following links. The ASPCA & Humane Society both have entire lists of toxic plants for dogs. Always talk to your vet and do your research! Below is also a list of dog-friendly options.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list
https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/poisonous-plants-to-pets.pdf
https://www.rover.com/blog/10-safe-plants-dogs-can-add-almost-garden-right-now/