Horticultural Horrors for Hounds
There are many plants commonly found in home gardens which could prove lethal to dogs and especially puppies (who chew everything) - not to mention yourself and your children. Below is a list of some of those plants with the effects they can have if eaten - even in small quantities.
| Plant Name | Poisonous Part | Effects |
| AZALEA |
Entire plant | Paralysis of the muscles, including the heart. Depression of central nervous system. Sometimes fatal. |
| BIRD OF PARADISE | Seed pods | Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea |
| BUTTERCUP & RANUNCULUS |
Entire plant | Stomach irritation/diarrhoea/convulsions |
| CALLA LILY | Entire plant | Intense burning sensation/ irritation of the mouth and stomach |
| CASTOR BEAN | Entire plant but especially the seeds | Burning sensation in the mouth. Eating two or more seeds may cause serious illness/death |
| DAFFODIL | Bulb | Severe vomiting and diarrhoea, trembling, convulsions and sometimes death |
| DAPHNE | Entire plant | Burning and ulceration of stomach and intestines, bloody vomiting and diarrhoea |
| ENGLISH IVY | Leaves/berries | General excitement, difficulty breathing/coma |
| HOLLY | Berries | Vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness/collapse |
| IRIS | Leaves, roots & fleshy portions |
Severe but temporary digestive upset |
| JERUSALEM CHERRY | Berries | Vomiting, diarrhoea and collapse |
| LANTANA | Berries | Gastro-intestinal irritation/muscular weakness/ circulatory difficulties, sometimes fatal |
| OLEANDER | Entire Plant | Nausea, depression, bloody diarrhoea, weakened and irregular pulse and Paralysis |
| POINSETTIA | Leaves/stem | Diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, delirium. Sap cancause skin irritation. If rubbed in eyes, blindness |
| POISON OAK | Leaves | Skin irritation |
| PRIVET | Entire plant | Bloody vomiting, diarrhoea, severe irritation of the digestive tract, general nervous symptoms |
| RHUBARB | Leaves | Vomiting, severe abdominal pain, muscle cramps and in large quantities, convulsions/coma/death |
| WISTERIA | Entire plant | Severe vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea |
| YELLOW JASMINE | Entire plant | Thirst/ dilated pupils/reddened skin/headache |
It is not safe to assume that just because you can eat one part of a plant, the rest isn't poisonous. For instance, although we eat peaches, both the stone and leaf contain cyanide. Apricots also contain cyanide and children have actually died from eating too many apricot kernels. Although rhubarb stalks are good to eat, the leafy portion has been known to cause fatalities in humans.
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