Hooray! Spring is here! You know what that means. It is finally nice enough to leave the jacket at home, take your dog for long walks until the sun sets and start planting your garden.
If you are thinking of testing out your green thumb, it’s important to remember the family pets before you introduce new plants to your yard or home.
Adding some green to our living landscape has many benefits to us humans and our environment. Plants clean our air, make medicine, and brighten up our surroundings. However, the impact of flowers and plants on our families does not stop there. Many gardeners’ favorites can be harmful to our furry best friends.
Popular Plants That Are Dangerous For Your Dog
Hosta - These giant, leafy plants are a staple in most home gardens. They are great for filling in empty space in your flowerbed, not so great for your dog. If you have a plant-chewer, this is one plant you will need to be careful with. If consumed, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and discomfort.
Calla Lily - Beautiful, colorful and a bouquet favorite, lilies are many people’s favorite flower. While they add a pop of color and flair to your flowerbed, they can irritate your pets. If eaten, calla lilies can cause burning and irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing.
Knowing the impact of a specific plant can be difficult. Check out the ASPCA’s searchable list before you plant, or to check on the greens already growing in your garden!
If you do have plants in your garden that could be harmful, there are plenty of ways to make your yard pet-friendly while keeping your garden beautiful.
Some dogs like to explore under leaves and between stems. Creating paths through the garden may reduce the risk of your pup getting into something harmful, and all it takes is a few paving stones.
If you have a chewer, you may want to fence in your garden or the potentially poisonous plants.
Pet-Proof Your Home By Avoiding These Harmful Plants
Some of us (myself included) don’t have much of a green thumb. If you’re more of a houseplant person or live in an apartment without a yard, you still have the chance for adding greenery to your space. Here are a couple of the most popular houseplants that could be harmful.
Snake Plant - They are super easy to grow and nearly impossible to kill. Snake plants, also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, add depth to a corner and give a unique look to any room. The leaves stand straight up from their pot. These plants may be tempting to gnaw on, but they can be toxic to your dog.
Aloe Vera - The gel inside aloe vera plants can be cleansing for humans and is considered edible. However, your dog taking a chomp on the leaves may have different results. These plants can cause vomiting, lethargy and diarrhea. No matter how good this plant looks on your Instagram, harming your dog isn’t worth it.
In the garden, there are solutions to keeping toxic plants away from your pup. This goes for houseplants, too. Like anything else in your home that you do not want your dog getting into, all you need to do is put the plants somewhere out of reach of their curious nose.
Personally, I love the look of plants on a shelf or windowsill. You can also put your succulents, aloe plants, and other smaller pots up on counters or side tables. For the bigger pots, you might consider keeping your dog away by making a barrier or putting them in a room that your dogs are kept out of or have a lot of supervision in.
What pet-safe plants do you love to grow in your home?
About the Author
McKaila is a Product Marketing Interns at dogIDs. She recently graduated college and is pursuing a career in marketing and content writing. She gets her puppy-fix by making friends with the dogs that live in her building. You can usually find her drinking coffee and saying hello to every dog she sees.