Christmas Holidays are approaching and new ornamental Christmas plants fill up houses. However, some of them may pose a risk to your four-legged friends. Find out more!
Christmas Holidays are approaching and, as usual, new ornamental Christmas plants fill up houses. However, some of them may pose a risk to your four-legged friends since they may be toxic for them. There’s a number of potentially toxic ornamental plants, so you should always be careful to avoid any risk for your pets; during Christmas time you have to pay even more attention. Below you can find a list of the three most dangerous Christimas plants for cats and dogs; our suggestion: do not keep them “at paw”.
Poinsettia
This plant belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and it very common to find it in houses. Since it blooms in Winter, it is one of the most popular Christmas decorative plants. It contains a poisonus latex: if your pets accidentally eat it, this may cause vomit, diarrhea and pupil dilation.
Mistletoe
It is an evergreen plant from the Lorantacee family; as parasitic plant, it grows on trees and it is cultivated for ornamental purposes or for herbal medicine use. It is traditionally one of the most famous Christmas plants, since kissing under the mistletoe is considered a good omen. However, if your four-legged friends eat it, this can cause different ailments, depending on the amount. Common ailments may be gastroenteric or cardiorespiratory problems or neurological alterations, which may cause death if not immediately treated.
Christmas Holly
It can have bush or tree form and it belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family; its berries are red while leaves are dark green. It can be up to 10m high. Considered as a good omen for Christmas Holidays, you can find it in houses also days before or after Christmas. If you have Christmas Holly, you have to pay careful attention: its berries and leaves in fact may cause nausea, vomit, stomach pain and loose stools, if eaten by your furry friends.
Either you stay at home or you to go to friends’, during Christmas time it is always important to pay attention to any ornamental Christmas plant, trying not to keep them at cats’ or dogs’ paw!
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