Toxic Plants to Avoid for Pets

If you are a fur-friendly family, you’ll want to keep your four-legged friends in mind when it comes to the plants you use to populate your green spaces both in and outside your home.

It’s not a topic often considered but pets including both cats and dogs love to investigate (and often ingest) plants either out of curiosity, hunger or boredom. To ensure your pets’ safety, here’s our roundup of a few of the common toxic plants. These are a few plants you’ll want to avoid for the safety of your cat or dog:

Sago Palm

Sago palms are tiny versions of palm trees that can live both in and outdoors. With stiff fronds, these plants are extremely toxic to all pets and can cause symptoms including liver failure, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe scenarios, even death.

Philodendrons

These popular heart-shaped leaf plants are found in many homes. Unfortunately, the luscious leaves of these types of house plants contain a form of insoluble calcium oxalate crystals which can irritate your pets mouth or cause drooling.

Rhododendron

Also known as Azaleas, these beautiful flower-producing shrubs are common to backyard and frontyard environments. They contain a substance called grayanotoxin that can cause a negative reaction in your pet inducing digestive issues like an upset stomach or even irregular heart rates.

Aloe Vera

This popular desert dwelling succulent is used in abundance in Arizona. If an animal ingests it, it can cause central nervous system depression and induce vomiting, lethargy and other unwanted symptoms.

Tomato Plants

Last but not least, a surprising one for the list, tomato plants! This spring and summer if you have pets, we recommend that you either steer clear of planting tomatoes or keep a watchful eye. These popular plants can cause gastrointestinal problems, weakness and confusion if your pets ingest any of the leaves or actual tomatoes.