Poisonous Spring Flowers to Avoid
Spring's here which means the sun is starting to peak out from behind the clouds a bit more and nature begins to bloom again. All is well except there are also a few things to look out for with this new season. We've put together this handy guide to help keep your furry friends happy and healthy.
Daffodils
These famous yellow flowers are often seen as the first sign of spring. However, if ingested they can cause your dogs abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling and more. Contact to the skin can also irritate a dog and cause, redness, itching and blisters. Be sure to keep vases with daffodils in your homes out of your dogs reach as toxins can be present in the water too.
Tulips, Irises and Hyacinths
These flowers contain a toxin which irritates a dog's mouth and stomach which can result in drooling, discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhoea, dehydration and lethargy. While the whole plant is toxic, the bulbs actually have the highest concentration of toxins so make sure that your pots and plant beds are our of paws reach to avoid them digging and consuming these flowers.
Sweet peas flowers
They contain amino acids and toxins that can cause weakness and lethargy if consumed. This plant can also cause more serious problems, especially if a large amount is consumed by your dog.
Fertiliser and Weed Killers
While fertiliser is much loved by plants, they can be dangerous for your dogs so be sure to keep any sprays or bags out of paws reach. Best to keep them on a high shelf or in a secure shed/garage. If ingested, fertilisers can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and lethargy. Ulcers or redness nay start to form around your dog's mouth as the fertiliser can cause burns to the skin.
Weed killers are also full of chemicals and toxins that are dangerous to your dog. Before buying these, make sure to read the labels and instructions of the products and look for options that are specifically designed to be pet safe. The best practice would be to keep your dog away from the garden while you are using any of these products as your dogs can have skin irritation or experience committing, diarrhoea, panting, shivering and breathing problems if consumed. Don't forget to remove any toys that you dog may like to play with in your garden before using fertiliser or weed killers.
If your dog or puppy is displaying any of the above signs, contact your vet immediately. If they have come in contact with or ingested any items, take them with you or a photo to the vet as this can be helpful in deciding the best treatment for your dog.
Illnesses and accidents happen, but if we take these measures and precautions in advance we can certainly reduce the risk of these happening in the first place. Here's to happy walks and wagging tails x
For more pet care advise, visit PSDA's website here.