6 Dangerous Plants To Keep Your Pets Away From During the Christmas Holidays

   
Every Christmas holiday pets around the world become curious about the festive plants that arrive in their homes and while some are purr-fectly safe there are several that will effect them so severely that they'll need to make an emergency visit to the vet! 
  
To keep your pets safe this season please heed the warnings about the following 6 dangerous plants:

Poinsettias are low in toxicity but they can cause irritation to the sensitive tissues of the mouth and stomach. The white and sappy liquid inside the plant is the source of the discomfort in your animal’s digestive system. If your pet is showing signs other than general irritation of the mouth and vomiting, it is possible that the plant has pesticide on it that could be extremely fatal to an animal – especially if it is very small.

Holly can be toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and can cause some damage to your pet’s stomach and intestines due to its waxy, spiny leaves. Although holly’s toxicity level is relatively low, contact your veterinarian if your pet is vomiting, has diarrhea, is drooling excessively, or is depressed after ingestion.

Mistletoe is considered extremely toxic because it can lead to heart problems due to the severe drop in blood pressure caused by active toxins in the leaves. Hallucinations, seizures and even death could follow if your pet eats this plant.

The Lilium and Hemerocallis variety of Lily are the most toxic to all pets but most especially to cats. Even if a small amount is ingested it could cause gastrointestinal issues and convulsions. The bulbs are extremely toxic so if your cat likes to dig please put this plant far out of reach.

Amaryllis flowers are also popular gift items, often sold in kits in which the soil, bulbs, and planter are wrapped together to provide the recipient with a little garden project. If your pet decides to eat either the flower or the bulbs the toxicity will cause tremors, lethargy, vomiting, and abdominal pain if it is ingested.

Christmas trees: Fir trees have oils in them that can agitate your pet’s mouth and intestines and pines are considered to be relatively nontoxic but some can be dangerous. Chewing on pine needles can also cause stomach problems, intestinal obstruction, or puncture – even if they are from a nontoxic tree. In addition, the water used to nourish the tree can be toxic in many different ways – chemicals, molds, bacteria, and fertilizer are all things that could be present in the water.

It could be helpful to have a digestive aid at the ready in case your pet does happen to ingest one of these potentially harmful substances. To help with diarrhea, here are some options to help your pet feel better while you hopefully move or get rid of the damaging plant. This over the counter medication can alleviate nausea in your pet, so it may be useful to have some around just in case! 

If these 6 plants arrive in your home this holiday season, please be mindful of the dangers that they will present!