House Plants to Avoid
House plants. Benign, harmless items that decorate and liven up our homes. They’re loved for filtering our air and their beautiful colors and flowers when in full bloom. We look to plants as a way to bring peace and tranquility to our hectic days. Then there are the rest of us who struggle to keep one alive for longer than a week. Unfortunately, house plants do not bring the same joy and sense of peace to all of our household members.
In fact, many of the most common house plants are actually extremely toxic to our furry family members. The ASPCA maintains a list of the most common house plants toxic to both cats and dogs. Even if a plant is listed as non-toxic, ingestion by your pet can still lead to vomiting and gastrointestinal upset, but not be life threatening. This list is not meant to be exhaustive by any means, but rather is presenting the most common plants our pets may encounter.
While some plants may give your pup diarrhea, others are extremely poisonous and can cause serious problems, like liver damage. If you suspect your pet has chewed on or ingested any of the plants on this list, contact your vet immediately or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control. (888) 426-4435.
5 Common Toxic House Plants to Pets and Safe Alternatives
Aloe vera
Ivy
Jade
Philodendron
Corn plant
1) Some parts of the aloe plant are safe for dogs: the juice and gel found inside the leaves can be used as a topical treatment for skin abrasions, and dogs can safely drink aloe juice. But chewing on the plant can expose a dog to toxins called anthraquinone glycosides which can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Aloe is considered moderately toxic to dogs. Instead, choose Haworthia or other succulent plants.
2) Ivy (including English ivy) sure looks pretty tumbling out of a planter or cascading down a brick wall, but things will not be pretty if your dog eats its leaves. Several varieties of ivy contain toxins, including triterpenoid saponins and polyacetylene compounds, which cause excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Choose Swedish ivy as an alternative.
3) A rubber plant popular for its hard-to-kill properties and ability to live for up to 100 years, Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade, is toxic to pets, although the toxic compounds are not well understood. Jade plants can cause vomiting and a slow heart rate in addition to a harder-to-identify symptom: depression. Substitute a Christmas cactus for a safer option.
4) Philodendron is a popular pick for its low maintenance needs, but if ingested, sharp calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves can irritate a dog’s mouth and cause severe swelling and burning of the mouth and tongue. Rarely, this irritation can lead to difficulty breathing and in severe cases, death. An Areca palm also provides those tropical vibes, and can last for up to a decade with proper care.
5) Vomiting—sometimes with blood—is the main symptom when the corn plant is ingested, but it can also lead to loss of appetite and depression. This reaction is caused by compounds called steroidal saponin, which are dangerous for both dogs and cats. If you’re looking for a similar small tree look, without the ill effects, try a money tree instead.
