We are back to normal today. To Luna’s disappointment we have run out of bagels and she is back in the spotlight. If you missed our April Fool’s Day fun yesterday, you can visit our post and get a peek at our redesign by clicking here.
Today we also continue the A to Z Challenge. While I have decided not to stick to one topic completely during this challenge, there will be a slight focus on pet friendly gardening this year.
With Easter this weekend and with Spring blooming (or at least trying to), I thought now would be an appropriate time to discuss some Beautiful, but Deadly Easter Flowers and their safe alternatives for a pet safe home and garden.
My first rule of keeping a pet safe home and garden is avoidance. The key to this is knowing what is poisonous and what is pet safe. If know that something is poisonous, then I avoid bringing it into my home.
That isn’t always feasible. A girl can only go so long without chocolate.
When it isn’t feasible, it is important to keep unsafe items out of reach. If someone sends me flowers or chocolates, I’m not going to throw them away. I’m going to put them some place I know they are safe and away from hungry beagle jaws.
It is also good to understand your pet’s tendency to eat random items. I don’t have much faith in Luna resisting eating a foreign object. If she thinks it is food, then she eats it like it is food. So in our house, there are no dangerous items within her reach.
Thank goodness she hasn’t learned to open cabinets or get on counter tops. Game over if that happens.
Some cut flowers and plants have a tendency to drop leaves and petals as they grow and age. Keep this in mind. Even if you put the flowers high up on a counter, parts of the plants may fall to the reachable and snack-able level of your pet.
When you are researching dangerous flowers and plants, it is important to note that while there are some similarities across different species, toxicity differs between dogs, cats, and other pets.
Beautiful, but Dangerous Easter Flowers
Daffodil – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias
*Be careful with pets who dig as the bulbs are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Tulip – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, depression
*Be careful with pets who dig as the bulbs are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Hyacinth – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis
*Be careful with pets who dig as the bulbs are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Iris – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, lethargy
Chrysanthemum – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, dermatitis
*Also known as Daisy, Mum, and Pom
Amaryllis – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, abdominal pain, tremors, hypersalivation
Azalea – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms- Vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalivation, coma, cardiovascular collapse, death
Gladiolus (Gladiola) – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, lethargy
*Be careful with pets who dig as the bulbs are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Hydrangea – Toxic to Dogs, Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, diarrhea, depression
Lily – Toxic to Cats
Symptoms – Vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, kidney failure, death (Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter, Japanese Show)
*Peace, Peruvian, and Calla Lilies are mildly poisonous to cats. Research has not proven toxicity to dogs.
Pet Safe Alternatives for Easter Flowers
Rose – Cut flowers, Garden flowers
Sunflower – Cut flowers, Garden flowers
Zinnia – Cut flowers, Garden flowers
Gerber Daisy – Cut flowers, Garden flowers, Indoor flowers
Snapdragon – Cut flowers, Garden flowers
Petunia – Garden flowers
Tickseed – Garden flowers
African Violet – Indoor flowers
Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily) – Cut flowers, Garden flowers. Mildly toxic to cats.
*Symptoms from the ASPCA’s Toxic Plant Guide
< A is for April Fool's || C is for Can You Find the Easter Eggs? >
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