Happy pet-safe Gardening

We all care about our pets and know there’s a few plants that can potentially cause harm. We discussed how dogs, cats, and birds are naturally curious. They sniff, nibble, and sometimes chew on leaves or flowers. If they choose the wrong plant, the results can range from an upset stomach to a more serious medical emergency. As expected, the lovely butterfly attracting oleander was mentioned.

Oleander is a commonly grown tree, but also one of the most toxic plants to pets and people. Just one chewed leaf can race the heart causing issues in dogs, cats and people. The Desert Rose (Adenium) is related to Oleander and often grown in pots. Both the leaves and sap of Desert Roses are poisonous if touched or ingested. The Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Brunfelsia) shrub with its changing flower colours, looks lovely but is highly toxic to dogs. So too, is Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia) with all parts of the plant toxic.

A safe garden is a happy garden and with awareness, we can keep both our plants and pets thriving. We love spending time in the garden with our Kelpie x Border Collie “Evee”. It is always enjoyable and watching our 21 year old cat “Cleo” sleeping in the winter’s sun on a patch of grass is really nice too. Both our animals are a precious addition to our household.

There are some other common garden plants to be careful with, including foxgloves, azaleas, sago palms, daffodils, and tulips. Rhubarb leaves we know are toxic and should be kept away from any pets. I remember my Mother telling me about her Pet Sheep “Daisy” mistakenly eating Rhubarb leaves and being unwell for days.

For many people, bringing nature inside as houseplants is important; though some can be potentially harmful to pets. Peace lilies, pothos, philodendrons and the popular monstera are also unsafe and can cause drooling, vomiting, and mouth irritation if ingested.

Thankfully though, most plants are completely fine around our animals. Pet safe plant options include marigolds, buddleia, snapdragons, camellias, grevilleas, grasses, lavender, wormwood and herbs such as rosemary and basil.

Ideally keep any risky indoor plants up high, in hanging baskets or behind barriers. Also, if your pet is a chewer, consider keeping toxic plants out of reach. If your pet does start vomiting, drooling, acting sleepy or is behaving differently after being near plants, call your vet immediately bringing a sample or photo of the plant with you.

For Happy pet safe Gardening, simply make a check around your home and garden to identify what plants you have and look up whether they’re safe for your pets. For some additional thoughts, your local vet or nursery can help. By being discerning with your garden choices, pets and plants can thrive together.