$0.00
What are you Looking for?
A Few Common Holiday Plants That Can Be Toxic for Your Pets
As the holidays are quickly approaching, be wary of buying these holiday plants if you have furry companions in your home. As the weather gets colder, animals spend more time indoors and are more likely to get into things that they shouldn’t such as household plants (Bertero et al., 2020). Depending upon the country, 5% to 11% of all pet poisonings that have been reported, occur from the ingestion of household plants (Bertero et al., 2020). Kittens and puppies are the most susceptible to houseplant toxicity due to their small stature combined with their active stage of growth (Elfenbein, 2019). Pet owners may not realize their animal is experiencing plant toxicity unless they catch their pet in the act of ingesting plant material (Bertero et al., 2020). This can become concerning very quickly because, if a pet is acting lethargic, owners do not realize that their pet is suffering from plant toxicity. Owners may just assume their animal is having an “off” day and not seek veterinary care until it’s too late. Another concern in households that contain a plethora of plants is determining which plant the animal ate to come up with a treatment plan. Plant toxicities can create a diverse number of symptoms in companion animals depending upon the type of plant that the animal ingested (Bertero et al., 2020). On top of plant toxicity, pet owners need to be aware if any of their plants were treated with pesticides which can be extremely dangerous for pets to consume (Elfenbein, 2019). If you are unsure of how to proceed in caring for your pet when they have been poisoned by a plant; a fantastic resource is the ASPCA Animal Poison Control (Mahaney, 2010).The ASPCA can aid veterinarian’s in their knowledge on the specificity of plants and the symptoms that can occur as well as treatment protocols (Mahaney, 2010).
One of the most familiar holiday plants that cause plant toxicity in animals is the Euphorbia pulcherrima which is also recognized as the poinsettia (Bertero et al., 2020). Poinsettias are not safe for either cats or dogs to consume and every holiday season, veterinarians see a spike in toxicity cases from poinsettia ingestion (Bertero et al., 2020). The most dangerous aspect of the plant is the milky latex coating on the leaves which seem to attract animals through the plant smell that it naturally produces (Bertero et al., 2020). Animals commonly lick or try to eat the waxy coating which is very unsafe (Bertero et al., 2020). Some owners may not realize they are ingesting the toxins if the animal chooses to only lick the plant without any displayed bite marks (Bertero et al., 2020). Digesting the outer coating can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis, and conjunctivitis (Bertero et al., 2020). If you plan to have poinsettias as a holiday décor item, please remember to put it out of reach from your pets to keep your furry companions safe this holiday season.
Another plant that is frequently seen around the holidays is Holly. Holly can be a houseplant by itself, incorporated into a Christmas tree, or made into a wreath to hang on a door (Crampton, 2020). The leaves in holly are very pointy and can be dangerous if they enter an animal’s digestive track (Crampton, 2020). The red berries in the holly plant contain theobromine which can be very dangerous for dogs to consume (Crampton, 2020). Theobromine is also in chocolate and causes similar toxic symptoms targeting the gastrointestinal tract including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (Crampton, 2020). Additional symptoms include a reduction in blood pressure and increased heart which may lead to dizziness when consuming the red berries in holly (Crampton, 2020). Dogs are more susceptible to theobromine toxicity due to the way their body absorbs the chemical slowly and breaks it down gradually as it stays in their body over longer periods of time compared to other animals (Crampton, 2020). As more berries are eaten, symptoms will become increasingly severe for your pets (Crampton, 2020). Always take your pet to receive veterinary care if they have ingested holly including the leaves or the berries to ensure their safety.
Mistletoe can be found in an archway or pinned at the doorway, waiting for couples to kiss underneath as a sign of good luck (Crampton, 2020). Although mistletoe may bring luck to humans, it is very unsafe for pets. Mistletoe is considered to be a hemiparasite that grows on trees and can be harmful if ingested by dogs and cats (Crampton, 2020). Mistletoe is comprised of phoratoxin which can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, blurred vision, decreased heart rate, and a drop in blood pressure (Crampton, 2020). Mistletoe and holly can exhibit very similar symptoms but are treated differently. Knowing which type of plant your pet ate is very important for a veterinarian to be aware of as they take care of your animal.
While a Christmas tree itself may not be dangerous, having a Christmas tree in a household setting may be a safety hazard for pets. The tree branches and needles are sharp and if ingested by a cat or dog, they may cause damage to the stomach lining (Elfenbein, 2019). The water bowl that is connected to the stump of the tree may contain bacteria, mold, or fertilizer that can be very harmful to pets (Elfenbein, 2019). These substances could have been present as the tree was alive and can still be present long after the tree is cut down (Elfenbein, 2019). If your furry companions are capable of drinking the tree water, cover it with a tree skirt or sheet cover so they will not have access to the water tray. If a tree is decorated with lights, pet owners must make sure that their animals are not chewing on the string of lights for risk of electrocution (Elfenbein, 2019). Festive ornaments may seem like a fun toy to pets, but ornaments should never be ingested and if they break, the broken glass or plastic can become a hazard for animals to step on.
As the holiday season is upon us, please be sure to keep your pets away from festive plants during this time of cheer. An alternative option to live holiday plants are fake plants that add just as much festivity but do not pose any risk to animals. If you have your mind set on buying live plants, consider training your animal not to go near any of the plants or Christmas tree through positive reinforcement training techniques (Mahaney, 2010). If you are looking for training treats, we highly recommend our limited edition holiday peanut butter banana organic dog biscuits.
HempMy Pet™ wishes you and your furry loved ones a safe and healthy holiday season.
References:
Keep your pets safe this holiday season and all seasons by knowing what plants can be toxic and even fatal.
The HempMy Pet™ Autoship Program
Never run out of your pet’s favorite biscuits or oils with the convenience of automatic ordering and shipping, and save more with each recurring purchase – up to 30%!
1st Order
1st Recurring Order
2nd Recurring Order
3rd Recurring Order
4th Recurring Order
5th Recurring Order
Edit, pause or cancel anytime. No commitments, contracts, or fees.
Reminders are sent both 10 days and the day before every recurring autoship order is processed.
In the animal rights movement, cruelty–free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products tested on animals are not considered cruelty–free, since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering and death of millions of animals every year.
Getting vegetarianism confused with veganism is a common mistake most people make. So today we are going to closely examine the definition of vegan versus the definition of a vegetarian in this post. Hopefully, this provides a little clarity.
The Oxford dictionary definition of a vegetarian is “a person who does not eat meat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain etc.”
This basically divides vegetarians into two groups; vegetarians who exclude eggs and dairy and vegetarians who include these items in their diets. The latter can then be broken up into a further three groups; ovo- vegetarians (who consume eggs but not milk), lacto-vegetarians (who consume milk but not eggs) and ovo-lacto vegetarians who consume both milk and eggs.
There’s often controversy surrounding “semi-vegetarians”, whose diet consists mainly of vegetarian foods but includes fish or poultry. The main differentiating factor between all of the above-mentioned groups is how much animal products are included in the diet.
The above difference is the main distinguishing factor between the definition of vegan and that of a vegetarian because vegans exclude animal products in their entirety. The official definition of veganism is “the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in a diet. As well as following an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals.
A follower of veganism is known as a vegan”. That means veganism extends beyond the diet of a vegan individual. That is the biggest difference between vegans and vegetarians. While vegetarians may not consume animal products, they may use them if they are present in other products, such as items containing silk, honey or leather.
Vegans, on the other hand, avoid the use of animal products in all areas of their lifestyles.
Cannabis strains including Hemp and Marijuana are either pure or hybrid of the plant genus Cannabis, which encompasses the species Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis.
Varieties are developed to intensify specific characteristics of the plant, or to differentiate the strain for the purposes of marketing or to make it more effective as a natural supplement. Variety names are typically chosen by their growers, and often reflect properties of the plant such as taste, color, smell, or the origin of the variety. These varieties have been cultivated to contain a high percentage of cannabinoids, including CBD, CBG, CBC and more. Several varieties of Cannabis, known as Hemp, have a very low THC content, and are instead grown for their fiber, seed and therapeutic propertiess
CBD has become quite popular over the last couple of years but despite what you might think it is only one of the 100 compounds that have been identified in the Cannabis Sativa L plant. Full-spectrum CBD oil, unlike CBD isolate products, includes a wide range of cannabinoids present in the cannabis or hemp plant. Depending on the condition and what you are looking to achieve it can provide a greater effect than CBD alone as all the cannabinoids work together in what is known as the entourage effect.
Full-spectrum CBD also contains a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, protein, chlorophyll, terpenes, flavonoids, and fiber. When referring to CBD in the hemp plant, it’s important to understand that Hemp contains a large number of cannabinoids (in trace amounts), but the main compounds are CBD and cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). As CBDa is more abundant in the hemp plant, firms must decarboxylate the oil. This process heats the oil and changes CBDa into CBD.
Just one last thing before we explain the benefits of Full Spectrum CBD oil, its important to understand that CBD from Cannabis is only legal in Medical or recreational states, while CBD hemp oil is legal in all 50 states under the 2014 US Farm Bill. While it may not be able to treat all conditions it has been known to assist with a variety of medical conditions including anxiety, depression and acute pain.
The Benefits of the Whole Plant
One of the most important studies relating to full-spectrum CBD oil took place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Hadassah School in 2015. It compared the performance of a full spectrum extract with one that contained CBD only. The study concluded that full spectrum was more effective when fighting pain and inflammation.
While CBD only is somewhat effective, the whole plant extract not only provided faster and better relief, the effects also lasted longer. This is why an increasing number of companies in the CBD industry are selling full-spectrum CBD oil as a rule.
The aforementioned entourage effect is the main reason behind the efficacy of whole plant extracts. There are over 100 ‘identified’ compounds in the cannabis plant. While most of these compounds have their own therapeutic benefit, they come together in a synergistic way to provide far better performance than any single compound, including CBD.