4-5 minute read
Toxic Houseplants to Avoid If You Have Pets
Houseplants have become a much more popular sight in nearly every home, thanks to a high social media presence. They can brighten a living space, help improve air quality, and have been shown to help reduce anxiety and depression as many people find caring for plants therapeutic and rewarding.
Unfortunately, if you have pets there are many houseplants that you should avoid bringing into your home due to their toxic properties for pets - or place them well out of reach of your pets and we'll list some of the Toxic Houseplants to Avoid If You Have Pets in this blog post.
1. Aloe Vera is a Toxic Houseplants to Avoid If You Have Pets
Peace lilies are beautiful, and one of the most common flowering houseplants. Their dark leaves, white flowers, and low maintenance needs make them a very popular choice. However, peace lilies contain calcium oxalates and if consumed, can cause vomiting, irritation of the mouth and GI tract, excessive drooling, and in severe cases, difficulty swallowing or breathing. They are only dangerous when ingested and are completely safe to touch.
Contains: Insoluble calcium oxalates
Monstera deliciosa are very trendy sub-tropical houseplants thanks to their stunning tropical foliage. Sometimes referred to as "Swiss cheese plants" or "Split-leaf philodendrons," Monsteras are relatively low maintenance, making them an attractive addition to any home. Unfortunately like with the Peace Lilies, Monstera deliciosa contains insoluble calcium oxalates, and if consumed, can cause vomiting, irritation of the mouth and GI tract, excessive drooling, and in severe cases, difficulty swallowing or breathing. They are only dangerous when ingested and are completely safe to touch.
Contains: Insoluble calcium oxalates
Due to its low maintenance nature, pothos have become a very attractive houseplant. Although pothos are completely safe to the touch, they contain insoluble calcium oxalates, and if consumed, can cause vomiting, irritation of the mouth and GI tract, excessive drooling, and in severe cases, difficulty swallowing or breathing making them Toxic Houseplants to Avoid If You Have Pets.
Contains: Insoluble calcium oxalates
Snake plants, otherwise referred to as "mother-in-law's tongue," while are non-toxic for humans, they are toxic for both cats and dogs and can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea if ingested making them Toxic Houseplants to Avoid If You Have Pets.
Contains: Saponins
There are many different varieties of dumb canes, which vary in size from a couple of feet high to over ten feet tall when grown in ideal conditions. Unfortunately, dumb canes are highly toxic to cats and dogs when ingested, and their sap can even be a mild irritant to humans and should be kept away from bare skin. Symptoms of dumb cane poisoning in cats include vomiting, burning of the mouth, oral irritation, swelling, and in severe cases difficulty swallowing or breathing which makes them Toxic Houseplants to Avoid If You Have Pets.
Contains: Insoluble calcium oxalates and proteolytic enzyme