I'd like to touch base with everyone about plant care and floral care for the
upcoming weeks.
Now that the weather is getting chilly, make sure all your plants are away from drafty windows and doors - anything that can cause them to get cold.
If you are transporting flowers or plants for the holidays, make sure to keep them covered! Newspaper is a great for insulation and a trash bag or plastic shopping bag will create a good windbreaker for the plant. Any time plants or flowers are exposed to freezing temperatures, they are prone to freezing and frost bite. You can recognize it easily enough. Plants and flowers will have a distinctive black or brown tip with a
crunchy feel to it. Remove the damaged foliage or petals and monitor it. If the damage spreads to the entire plant or flower, you might want to remove the damaged portions.
crunchy feel to it. Remove the damaged foliage or petals and monitor it. If the damage spreads to the entire plant or flower, you might want to remove the damaged portions.Also want to talk about Poinsettias!
There is the myth that the beautiful poinsettia is toxic. This is false! Whether you are human or concerned about your animals ingesting the plant.
The poinsettia is part of the Euphorbia family (which includes some toxic plants), but the poinsettia is not a toxic plant at all. The Minnesota Poison Control System concurs : "The fact is that they (poinsettias) are not poisonous. Nor are they edible and it can be expected that, when eated in quantity, they may cause stomach upset with possible vomitting. This may happen when an overactive puppy devours an entire plant. In the case of a child who eats a single leaf, no ill effects would be expected."
Given the bitter taste of the plant, it is usually enough to deter humans and pets from continous ingestion of the plant. Experimental dosages of ingestion of the plant have been conducted. It is said that a 50 pound child would have to eat more than 1.25 lbs of poinsettia (about 500-600 leaves) to exceed the experiemental dosage. If your child or pet eats that much poinsettia.... You might want to consider watching them a little closer or keeping your out of control dog in a kennel or outside!
You can check out the entire article on www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/poinsettias.asp
for the rest of the story!
Stay warm this holiday season - oh, and Merry Christmas!!
Posts
Thanks for the info! Poinsettias are BARELY poisonous to pets!! It's all hype! Instead, worry more about Easter, Tiger, or Asiatic lilies - one leaf will kill a cat and cause acute kidney failure!
ReplyDeleteHere are some more tips from Pet Poison Helpline, another animal poison control based out of Minneapolis. Thanks for spreading the word!
Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC
Associate Director of Veterinary Services
Pet Poison Helpline
www.petpoisonhelpline.com
www.drjustinelee.com
The holidays are stressful enough without having to worry about a potentially poisoned pet. Below is a list of holiday-related decorations, plants and food items that the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline recommend keeping away from pets.
• Holiday Ornaments: When decorating for the season, consider your pets. Holiday decorations such as snow globes or bubble lights may contain poisonous chemicals. If your pet chews on them the liquid inside could be could be dangerous to their health. Methylene chloride, the chemical in bubble lights, can result in depression, aspiration pneumonia and irritation to the eyes, skin and gastrointestinal tract.
• Tinsel: If you own a cat, forgo the tinsel. What looks like a shiny toy to your cat can prove deadly if ingested. Tinsel does not pose a poisoning risk but can cause severe damage to a cat’s intestinal tract if swallowed. Ultimately, cats run the risk of severe injury to, or rupture of their intestines and treatment involves expensive abdominal surgery.
• Alcohol: Because alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, it affects pets quickly. Ingestion of alcohol can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature. Intoxicated animals can experience seizures and respiratory failure. Additionally, foods such as desserts containing alcohol and unbaked dough that contains yeast should be kept away from pets as they may result in alcohol toxicity, vomiting, disorientation and stomach bloat.
• Holiday Foods: With the holiday season comes a delightful variety of baked goods, chocolate confections and other rich, fattening foods. However, it is not wise (and in some cases is quite dangerous) to share these treats with your pets. Keep your pet on his or her regular diet over the holidays and do not let family and friends sneak in treats. Foods that can present problems:
- Foods containing grapes, raisins and currents (such as fruit cakes) can result in kidney failure in dogs.
- Chocolate and cocoa contain theobromine, a chemical highly toxic to dogs and cats. Ingestion in small amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhea but large amounts can cause seizures and heart arrhythmias.
- Many sugarless gums and candies contain xylitol, a sweetener which is toxic to dogs. It causes a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and liver failure.
- Leftover, fatty meat scraps can produce severe inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) leading to abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
• Liquid Potpourri: Filling your house with the smell of nutmeg or pine for the holidays may seem inviting—but if you’re partial to heating your scented oils in a simmer pot, know that they can cause serious harm to your cat; even a few licks can result in severe chemical burns in the mouth, fever, difficulty breathing, and tremors. Dogs aren’t as sensitive, but it’s still better to be safe than sorry—so scent your home with a non-toxic candle kept safely out of kitty’s reach.
When it comes to the holidays, the best thing a pet owner can do is get educated on common household toxins and pet-proof your home accordingly. If you think your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 ($35/call vs ASPCA's $60/case) with any questions or concerns.