The plants that decorate our homes at Christmas cannot leave anyone indifferent, not even our four-legged friends. Despite the happy atmosphere they can bring into the house, these vegetables can be very dangerous for our dog: for example poinsettia is poisonous to dogs.
Widespread throughout our country, the poinsettia has now become one of the symbols of this holiday. It is a plant, with bright red flowers, absolutely harmless to humans, but which is toxic to cats and dogs.
Why is poinsettia poisonous to dogs?
When Fido nibbles on his flowers (or leaves) he causes the plant sap which contains alkaloids, euphorbons and triterpenes, three substances that irritate the animal’s stomach, esophagus and mouth.
Furthermore, even if the dog approaches the plant, he can find himself with irritated skin, eyes or fur. Furthermore, the poinsettia is toxic to dogs even more so if Fido has an open wound.
Despite these numerous side effects, however, this plant is not as lethal as others can be, which we will tell you about.
What are the symptoms of a dog who has eaten poinsettia?
Understanding if the dog has eaten the poinsettia is not difficult, just observe the different symptoms of the animal, among which we find:
- Itching;
- Irritated skin;
- vesicles (in severe cases);
- Tiredness;
- Tremor;
- Loss of balance;
- Irritation to the digestive system
- Diarrhea;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- dehydration;
- Hypersalivation.
What to do if the dog eats the poinsettia?
If you notice the symptoms mentioned above do not wait, the poinsettia is toxic to dogs therefore call your veterinary surgeon right away.
In order not to cause damage, poinsettia poisoning in dogs it needs to be taken care of immediately although, truth be told, there is no exact cure against the plant, but rather against its symptoms. For example, if the dog ate the poinsettia in the last 30 minutes your vet will explain how make him vomit and later he will go to treat the animal’s dehydration via drip.
What if he didn’t eat it, but still came into contact with the plant?
If the plant has only come into contact with eyes and skin then it will need to rinse the area affected and contact the vet to see the possible therapy to follow.
The poinsettia is poisonous to dogs, but just be careful that the dog does not come into contact with this Christmas plant. We therefore advise you to store it in some areas of the house where Fido cannot reach.
Other Christmas plants dangerous for the dog
Not only is poinsettia toxic to dogs – here is a list of other Christmas plants to keep out of Fido’s reach:
- Mistletoe;
- Holly;
- Tasso;
- Christmas Rose or Hellebore;
- Jerusalem cherry;
- Christmas heather.