Most plant and pet combinations are fine. A few are not, and a small number are true emergencies. The goal here is not to scare you out of owning plants, it is to help you check your own shelves against a reliable source rather than a shop label.
Start with the authority. The ASPCA maintains a searchable database of toxic and non-toxic plants for dogs, cats, and horses, listing plants reported to have systemic effects on animals or intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Search by botanical name where you can, since common names overlap badly. The ASPCA notes the list is not all-inclusive, but a compilation of the most frequently encountered plants.
Common houseplants worth knowing about
Several extremely popular plants appear on the toxic list, including pothos, philodendron, dieffenbachia, sago palm, and lilies. Iowa State University Extension explains that philodendrons and their relatives contain calcium oxalate crystals which are toxic to humans, dogs, cats, and other animals, causing pain and swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue and throat, drooling, vomiting, and painful swallowing.
Two deserve separate emphasis because the risk is not mild.
- Lilies and cats. The ASPCA states that exposure in cats, including to leaves, bulbs, flowers, pollen, or even the flower water, can cause acute kidney injury and even death. A cat that brushes past pollen and grooms it off can be poisoned. If you have a cat, the safest policy is no true lilies or daylilies in the house at all, including in cut flower arrangements.
- Sago palm. The ASPCA describes sago palms as capable of causing severe vomiting and diarrhea, difficulty clotting the blood, liver failure and even death, with the seeds being the most harmful part. This applies to dogs as well as cats.
By contrast, plants such as spider plant, Boston fern, parlor palm, African violet, and calathea appear on the non-toxic side of the ASPCA lists. Non-toxic does not mean edible: the ASPCA notes consumption of any plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats.
Symptoms to watch for
Signs vary by plant and by how much was eaten, but common ones include drooling, pawing at the mouth, swelling of the lips or tongue, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, difficulty swallowing, tremors, and changes in drinking or urination. Chewed leaves, soil scattered on the floor, or plant fragments in vomit are useful evidence.
Do not wait for symptoms if you know your pet chewed something on the toxic list. With lilies in cats and sago palm in any pet, the window in which treatment works best is early, before serious signs appear.
What to do in an emergency
Call for help immediately. Contact your veterinarian, an emergency veterinary hospital, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which operates a 24 hour emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply. If your regular clinic is closed, go straight to an emergency vet.
When you call, have ready: the plant’s name (bring the pot or a photo if you are unsure), roughly how much was eaten and when, and your pet’s species, breed, approximate weight, and any symptoms so far.
Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian or poison control professional tells you to. Home remedies can cause additional harm depending on the substance and the animal.
Placement and prevention
Reducing access is more reliable than hoping your pet ignores a plant.
- Keep toxic plants in rooms your pets do not enter, behind a closed door.
- Remember cats climb. A high shelf is not out of reach for most cats, and hanging planters with trailing stems are an invitation.
- Pick up fallen leaves and spent flowers promptly.
- Check bouquets and gift plants before they come inside.
- Give bored pets an alternative, such as cat grass, so foliage is less tempting.
- Note that some pets chew soil and amendments too, so keep fertilizers and pesticides sealed and stored away.
Ten minutes spent checking your collection against the ASPCA database is one of the highest value things a plant owner with pets can do.
