Dog Poison Care

A poison is any substance harmful to the body. Animal baits are palatable poisons that encourage ingestion. This makes them an obvious choice for intentional poisoning.

Dogs are curious by nature and have a tendency to hunt small game, or explore out-of-the-way places such as woodpiles, weed thickets and storage ports. This puts them into contact with insects, dead animals and toxic plants. It also means that in many cases of suspected poisoning the actual agent will be unknown. The great variety of potentially poisonous plants and shrubs makes identification difficult or impossible unless the owner has direct knowledge that the dog has eaten a certain plant or product. Most cases suspected of being malicious poisoning actually are not.

In some types of vegetation, only certain parts of the plant are toxic. In others, all parts are poisonous. Ingestion causes a wide range of symptoms. They include mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, hallucination, seizures, coma and death. Other plant substances cause skin rash. Some toxic plants have specific pharmacological actions that are used in medicines.

The following tables of toxic plants, shrubs and trees are included for reference.

Poisonous Houseplants

Toxic Houseplants:

A. That give rash after contact with the skin or mouth:

Chrysanthemum

Poinsettia

Creeping fig

Weeping fig

Pot mum > might produce dermatitis

Spider mum > might produce dermatitis

B. That are irritating to mucus membranes (toxic oxalates); the mouth especially gets swollen; painful tongue; ore lips:

Arrowhead vine

Boston ivy

Collodium

Drunk cane

Emerald duke

Heart leaf (philodendrum)

Marble queen

Majesty

Neththytis ivy

Pathos

Red princess

Saddle leaf (philodendrum)

Split leaf (philodendrum)

C. That may contain a wide variety of poisons. Most cause vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps. Some cause tremors, heart and respiratory and/or kidney problems, which are difficult for owners to interpret:

Amaryllis

Elephant ears

Pot mum

Asparagus fern

Glocal ivy

Ripple ivy

Azalea

Heart ivy

Spider mum

Bird of paradise

Ivy

Sprangeri fern

Creeping Charlie

Jerusalem cherry

Umbrella plant

Crown of thorns

Needlepoint ivy

Outdoor Plants with Toxic Effects

A. Outdoor plants that produce vomiting and diarrhea in some cases:

Delphinium

Poke weed

Indian tobacco

Daffodil

Bittersweet

Wisteria Castor beanwoody

SoapberryIndian turnip

Ground cherry Skunk cabbage

Foxglove Larkspur

B. Trees and shrubs that are poisonous and may produce vomiting, abdominal pain and in some cases diarrhea:

Horse chestnut

Western yew

Apricot

Buckeye

English holly almond

Rain tree

Peach cherry

Monkey pod

Wild cherry

American yew

Bird of paradise

Japanese plum

English yew
Black locust

Balsam pear

Mock orange

Privet

C. Outdoor plants with varied toxic effect:

Rhubarb

Buttercup

Moonseed

Spinach

Nightshade

Mayapple

Sunburned

Poison hemlock

Dutchman's potatoes

Jimsonweed

Tomato vine

Pigweed

Mescal bean

Locoweed

Water hemlock

Lupine

Mushrooms trumpet

Dologeton

Angel's Jasmine

Matrimony vine

D. Hallucinogens:

Marijuana

Nutmeg

Peyote

Morning glory

Periwinkle

Locoweed

E. Outdoor plants that produce convulsions:

Chinaberry

Moonweed

Water hemlock

Coriaria
Nux vomica