With the growing number of pandemic pet adopters and houseplant collectors, understanding houseplants and pet safety is increasingly important. The term “toxic houseplant” paints a dramatic picture; a knocked over plant, chewed leaf, vomiting, and a panicked call to the vet. I recently read about a cat owner who bought a seemingly harmless sago palm from Home Depot. Her cat took a bite, got sick and needed a $4000 endoscopy. The owner suffered for days with an uncertain prognosis for her cat. Thankfully, her pet pulled through. 

Beware Of Varying Symptoms

Not all cases of toxicity cause critical episodes. Symptoms vary and can look like chronic skin irritations, food allergies, and viruses rather than toxic emergencies. Puma, our newest dog, was itchy and had three unexplained eye infections. When the vet ruled out injury and serious illness, I was left to determine the source on my own. A late night Google search on dog allergies revealed the answer;  tradescantias. The beautiful purple striped leaves are highly toxic, and I had seven of them in the house! Yeesh, poor Puma. I had no idea tradescantias could cause harm without being ingested. I quickly got rid of them and her eyes cleared up. 

Watch for Conflicting Data  

Do a quick internet search on toxic houseplants and you’ll immediately find the well-known suspects like sansevieria, pothos, and dieffenbachia. These are the common offenders, the ones you’ll see listed on most websites. Keep searching and results start to vary. Some plants are listed as toxic on one website, but not on others. Most lists refer to the worst case scenarios, when pets actually eat the plant, but often lack information on exactly which pets, which plants, and what degree of contact causes harm.

Create Your Own Pet Safe Strategy 

Indoor plant labels rarely warn about pet safety, and vets aren’t in the horticulture mindset, so it is up to us to protect our pets. The best thing any pet and plant owner can do is to create a preventative strategy. Here’s my recommendations: 

• Keep any toxic plants far away from pets or avoid growing them in your home altogether.
• If you’re unsure which plants are toxic use a trusted resource like the ASPCA 
• Make sure to wash your hands after handling plants and before you pet your dog or cat. 
• Consider soil microbes, pollen in the air, and dusty plant leaves as potential irritants –  vacuum often.  

If your pet is having unexplained health issues, take a good look at your houseplant collection and determine if any of your plants might be the source. If you can’t find the culprit, remember that most flowering plants can cause allergies or subtle irritations. I know it hurts to get rid of a plant you love, but the choice is clear when it comes to your pet’s health. With both plants and pets, the easiest way to keep them healthy is to carefully observe them. This way you’ll catch any small changes before they turn into big problems.