Creature Feature: Beware The Pretty Poisons

Many pet owners bemoan the digging, chewing, and rampaging damage their animals do to their gardens, but they often are unaware of the damage their gardens can do to their pets.

To most of us, azaleas, lily of the valley, daffodils, and hyacinths are sweetly scented blooms bobbing in spring sunshine, but to veterinarians they present a darker picture. All of them are toxic.

Other familiar garden and landscaping plants that contain life-threatening toxins are boxwood, mountain laurel, foxglove, monkshood, yew, privet, lupine, rhododendron, and Japanese pieris. Do not let your pets chew on any of these plants.

Beautiful But Dangerous

Less toxic but still considered dangerous are wisteria, delphinium, English ivy, hydrangea, narcissus, daffodil, jonquil, amaryllis, Easter lily, glory lily, hyacinth, lily of the valley, bleeding heart, autumn crocus, trumpet vine, lantana, angel's trumpet, laburnum, and helleborus.

Given how commonly these plants occur in our gardens it is remarkable that pets are not poisoned more frequently. In fact, poisoning occurs so seldom, "It's conspicuous by its absence," said Dr. Dale Tarr of the East Hampton Veterinary Group.

Since adult animals will generally avoid these plants, the pet-owning gardener needn't rush out and dig them all up. But they shouldn't be lulled into complacency, either. Dr. Jonathan Turetsky of the Veterinary Clinic of East Hampton recently treated a cat who'd made herself very ill indeed by feasting on the stems of daffodils.

Young Animals

Pet owners should educate themselves about the contents of their gardens and the toxicity levels of the various plants, advises Dr. Alice Gwaltney of the National Animal Poison Control Center, so if they see their dog nuzzling up to the foxglove, they'll know to nip that activity in the bud immediately.

Young animals are another matter entirely.

"Puppies . . . they're the worst!" said Dr. Turetsky. With their insatiable desire to chew, puppies are continually on the verge of being poisoned.

"You have to treat them like infants," said Dr. Davis. "During their first year I tell owners they have to watch them because they'll chew on anything. The first year - that's the bad year."

Kittens are a little less likely to accidentally commit suicide, but it's not entirely unlikely. At least they mature faster. By 6 months of age, they're usually "out of the danger zone," observed Dr. Davis.

Horses And Goats

Horses and other herbivores have a great deal of sense when it comes to toxic plants - usually. "It's very unusual for them to get poisoned, but people should be aware of the possibility," said Dr. John Andresen of the Mattituck-Laurel Veterinary Clinic.

The glaring exception to this rule is the goat, an animal always prepared for gastronomical adventure. "We see a lot of goats poisoned by rhododendrons," said Dr. Andresen.

Cats and dogs are lucky; they can vomit. Their usual reaction to the presence of toxins in their systems is to throw it up.

"This makes the effect of most poisons self-limiting," Dr. Davis noted.

Remedies

Horses, on the other hand, lack the ability to regurgitate. They are therefore in greater danger when poisoned.

"All that can be done is to give them activated charcoal to absorb the toxins, and/or mineral oil to speed the poison out. Sometimes you have to keep them on supportive treatment and administer intravenous fluids and sedatives if they are convulsing," advised Dr. Andresen.

Fortunately, most poisonous plants are unpalatable to horses. But since horses are grazing animals whose digestive systems are built for all-day nibbling, in the absence of more palatable fare they may be driven to chow down on the untasty and unhealthful.

Fertilizers

When the grass in the pasture is low, supply hay to supplement it, advise the experts. And, if the pasture contains oaks, red maples, chokecherries, apple, peach, black locust, horse chestnut, or black walnut trees, strongly consider removing them, for they are all toxic to varying degrees.

Fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides may make our gardens more beautiful but they, too, can present dangers to a pet's health.

"Always plan fertilizing around rainstorms," said Dr. Davis. And keep the animals off the site for at least 24 hours.

If it rains after you've applied a herbicide, keep the pet away from the area for even longer. Pets can lap the rainwater from a treated leaf and ingest the chemical.

Dr. Davis has seen poisoning in horses pastured near farm fields that were sprayed with insecticides.

Insecticides

The most dramatic case of poisoning Dr. Andresen ever saw also involved insecticides. A horse went into violent convulsions after eating hay that had been grown alongside cropland sprayed with insecticides.

All garden chemicals should be stored where animals can't get to them. The pet-owning nonorganic

gardener would be well advised to keep the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Poison Hotline number - 800-548-2423 - on hand.

Pet-owning gardeners can enjoy both their avocations to the fullest as long as they keep in mind Dr. Davis's advice: "If the pet is chewing on any plant, take it away from it! Except grass. Grass is okay, they can chew on that."