Deck the halls with boughs of … wait, isn’t holly poisonous to pets?
As beautiful as traditional winter holiday plants like holly can be, they can make our beloved pets feel pretty miserable. While some cause little more than an upset stomach, others can cause serious symptoms that require veterinary care.
With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s important to keep your pets safe. Below are some common holiday plants to avoid.
Poinsettias
You’ve probably heard that poinsettias are deadly to cats and dogs. However, in reality, poinsettias are not as toxic as previously believed. The white, milky sap on poinsettias can cause vomiting, diarrhea and drooling. In addition, these plants can cause skin irritation, such as redness and swelling. Your best bet to is to keep poinsettias out of reach. If your pet still manages to eat them, remove your pet’s food and water bowl for a few hours to let their stomach settle.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis equals trouble for pets. This plant’s flowers can cause vomiting, diarrhea and drooling. In particular, amaryllis bulbs are extremely poisonous to pets. A pet who eats a large amount of these bulbs can develop weakness, tremors, seizures and severe abdominal pain. It is best to avoid having this plant in your home. If you can’t resist, place amaryllis plants far out of reach of your pets.
Christmas Trees
A pet who eats Christmas tree needles can experience vomiting, diarrhea and drooling. Eating a large volume of needles can be dangerous—needles can obstruct and even poke holes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can cause serious problems requiring veterinary care. Additionally, if you have a real tree, your pet may get a mild stomach ache from drinking the water. If putting a physical barrier around your Christmas tree isn’t practical, monitor your pet for signs that they’ve ingested the tree’s needles or water.
Holly
While holly berries cause only mild GI upset, eating the whole plant can result in major complications. Holly leaves have spiny points that can irritate and damage the lining of the GI tract, causing pets to smack their lips, drool and shake their heads excessively. The plant itself contains toxic chemicals called saponins, which can cause serious GI upset. Keep holly well out of reach of your pet.
Mistletoe
People may feel amorous under the mistletoe, but pets just want to eat it! This plant, which contains chemicals called lectins and phoratoxins, can be highly poisonous for pets. Ingesting small amounts causes only mild GI upset. However, a pet who eats a large amount of mistletoe can develop serious symptoms like erratic behavior, an extremely low heart rate, difficulty breathing and even cardiovascular collapse. Artificial mistletoe is also problematic—the plastic berries can cause GI obstruction.
Given how poisonous mistletoe can be, consider either keeping it out of your home entirely or placing it where your pets can’t reach it.
Lilies
Lilies are especially poisonous to cats, causing kidney failure. Signs of lily ingestion include vomiting, depression and a decreased appetite. If your cat has ingested lilies, contact your veterinarian immediately so your pet can receive treatment as soon as possible. Like amaryllis and mistletoe, it is best not to have lilies in your home if you have a cat.
As you can see, holiday plants can cause a range of symptoms in pets. If you suspect that your pet has eaten a holiday plant, contact your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline (1-800-213-6680) right away.