Tulips and many common houseplants are toxic to cats. The video covers which plants to avoid, what poisoning symptoms look like, and which ones are safe to keep around your cat.
Hello and welcome to Happy Pets and Families. Today we are going to talk about a topic that you suggested on the Facebook page, which is plants that can be toxic to your cats. Discussing toxic plants that affect cats is one of the biggest concerns that families who decide to adopt a cat usually have. Plants that are normally found at home can pose a risk to your cat's life. Although it is not usual for cats to nibble on plants. If you have a small cat that likes to explore, it may decide to smell or even nibble on certain types of plants that you may have at home. In addition, if this cat has never been outside and has never had contact with these plants in their natural environment or even been taught by its mother, it may be that the cat does not have the skills to distinguish which ones are or may be dangerous for it. We often see poisoned cats in the clinic and we cannot know the origin of the problem because the signs are quite non specific. I recommend that you avoid having these types of plants at home as a safety measure. Whether or not you have plants that could be toxic to your cat, you can learn to differentiate the symptoms of poisoning. If your cat is vomiting, feeling very weak, staggering, or has an altered state of consciousness, this could indicate that it has come into contact with a toxic substance that is seriously affecting it. In such cases, I always recommend that you see your veterinarian as soon as possible. Keep in mind that even if you don't have many plants at home, at some point someone may give you a bouquet of flowers and some of the parts of these flowers could be toxic, even the pollen. Although we have focused on cats in this video, most of these plants are also toxic to dogs. Dogs so if you have a dog at home, you should take the same precautions as you would with cats. Dogs by nature do not usually investigate their surroundings as much and therefore do not usually ingest as many plants. Delphinium Delphinium is a native plant of dry climates. It is quite common to find it in gardens and if you have noticed, it can even be found decorating the edges of roads in Spain. Delphinium is a common resource in gardens because it produces quite striking flowers. However, it is quite toxic not only for cats, but also for people. It produces substances that are active at the level of the heart, which can have serious consequences on its functioning. Everything about delphinium is toxic, both the branches and also the leaves, the flowers, and even the smoke that it produces when burned. Dieffenbachia, peace lilies, calla lilies and philodendron are also very common Plants in gardens. These types of plants contain calcium oxalate crystals that are not soluble and that cause great irritation in the oronasal cavity. Poisoning by these crystals causes irritation in the mouth and also difficulty swallowing hypersalivation. In some cases, the condition is so severe that the animal stops eating, causing prolonged anorexia and on some occasions it can even lead to death. Ivy is a classic plant found in almost every garden and even in parks. Not only can some part of the plant be toxic, but the fruits that it produces on small brown leaves are also quite harmful. If your cat brushes against a broken branch and gets the SAP on its fur, it can cause skin rashes and dermatitis. If it eats any of the parts, especially the fruits, it can cause very severe vomiting and diarrhea, weight loss and cardiovascular pressure. Therefore, if you live in a house with a garden and you also have a cat, you should consider that ivy is perhaps not the best option for covering the walls and fences of the garden. Lilacs are real bombs for your cat. This group of plants includes lilies and some other plants that are widely used in making bouquets of flowers. Absolutely everything about lilacs is toxic to your cat. They are so potentially deadly that even your cat inhaling the pollen can trigger the condition. The problem with these plants is that they cause irreversible damage to kidney function, leading to acute kidney failure that usually manifests itself around 24, 36 or 72 hours after coming into contact with the plant. The first symptoms usually appear approximately 12 hours after ingesting the plant or having had contact with usually begins with apathy anorexia, which is when the cat loses its appetite and and usually progresses within 24 or even 96 hours to irreversible kidney failure. You have probably seen this plant in many parks and gardens. It is the sago palm or Siso revoluta. This plant is quite decorative, but it is also very toxic. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool and even death from acute liver failure. If your cat likes to dig in the garden, you have to be especially careful if you plant tulips. Ingesting tulip bulbs is quite harmful to cats as it causes a fairly acute gastrointestinal condition, although it is also true that tulip poisoning is less serious than that caused by some other ornamental plants. Begonias are another classic indoor plant kept in homes. They are quite attractive. If the cat nibbles on them, it can experience a burning sensation in its mouth because the SAP that circulates through them is quite irritating. If the cat also swallows this SAP, it can cause vomiting that can lead to dehydration. One of the most common and easiest to identify in daily clinical practice is marijuana poisoning. Marijuana, as in the human body, causes incoordination, difficulty in movement, hypersalivation, and mydriasis, which is dilation of the pupils. In cats in general, it is a nervous system condition and causes the cat to also be lethargic and hyperactive. If you think that your cat may have come into contact with marijuana or any of its derivatives, you should tell your vet when you go to the doctor. This is one of the main difficulties that veterinarians have when identifying marijuana poisoning because for personal reasons, owners decide not to mention that the cat may have ingested some part of this plant. Don't be embarrassed to tell your vet, we are not the police and all we want is to save your little one's life. The poinsettia is one of the great classics in poisoning, especially during the times when they are grown, which is usually in winter and Christmas. Absolutely everything about the poinsettia is toxic to your cat. Ingestion of the latex inside it, which is part of its SAP, is particularly common. This latex causes gastrointestinal symptoms with vomiting and diarrhea, and it also causes dermatitis, itching and inflammation on the skin. What I recommend, since it is not a plant that is usually found in homes except during these specific periods, is that you keep it away from your cat. However, your love for your cat does not conflict with your love for plants, and you can have some species that are completely safe for your felines. Some of them are orchids, marigolds, camellias, African violets, roses and petunias. There are probably a few more, but these are completely safe for your cat. I hope you found today's video useful and that it helped you choose the plants that you can have in your home. If you are thinking of getting a new pet, or if you already have one. If you liked the video, share it on your social networks, subscribe to the channel and give it a like. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments of the video or on any of the other social networks that you have at your disposal. Thank you so much for following Happy Pets and Families and I'll see you in the next video.
