Sally's Stories: Poisonous Plants
By Sally Shultis, naturopathic practitioner and owner of Deserts Rose Healing Ranch.
This article was first published in the March 2009 issue of Fusion.
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A few months ago, Deserts Rose welcomed two new animals into our clan—Bonnie and Clyde, a
pair of Doberman puppies who were recovered from a neglectful situation. Now six months old and
towering over the other dogs in our pack, they continue to bring joy, laughter, and a few curse words into
our daily lives, as they gallop around on paws twice the size of their legs, knocking people and things over
with goofy grins. We cannot imagine how we existed without their big hearts.
Last week, however, brought quite a scare—Bonnie, the female puppy, ate an amaryllis flower that
had fallen off of an outdoor plant and somehow ended up on the floor inside. The plant was a new
addition to our grounds and was kept outside and away from the dogs’ common areas, so I had not yet
taken the time to educate myself about the possible toxic affects on dogs.
I became aware of a problem when I noticed that Bonnie was moving a bit strangely, and seemed
generally out of sorts. Her face and gums felt warm to the touch, which is an indication of fever. I
noticed pieces of the flower on the floor, and was immediately alarmed. I placed 3 drops of peppermint
oil on her crown chakra (the top of her head) to ease the fever, then rubbed 3 drops of Di-Gize essential
oil blend onto her stomach to calm any upset while I ran to my office to check my reference books and
find out if amaryllis flower is toxic.
After several minutes of frantic searching, I learned that the bulb of the plant is, indeed, poisonous
to animals, but could find nothing about the flower. I turned to the internet, but my usual resources like
the ASPCA and Humane Society websites did not yield any better results. Finally, I found the answer to
my website at the Pawprints and Purrs site. The flower is not toxic, so I simply applied more Di-Gize,
gave her water, and kept an eye on her. She was fine, but the fear stayed with me for a while.
It is easy for dogs and cats to come into contact with poisonous plants, and many owners worry
about potentially toxic flora and fauna around their home. Whether you are moving into a new home,
landscaping, or simply want to add to your garden, please take a moment to research and consider what
you are placing within the reach of your beloved animals. That is a lesson no one wants to learn the hard
way.
For me, the incident also reinforced the importance of having good reference sources to go to in
an emergency. No one can know or remember everything, and we shouldn’t try! Never be afraid to
consult professionals, or embarrassed when you don’t know something—far better to ask for help and be
certain, than to guess and be wrong. Remember that if your animal does ingest a poisonous plant, the
best course of action is to take them to the emergency room immediately. If you live a far away from the
nearest veterinary hospital, try applying peppermint and Di-Gize while en route to keep their fever down
and the animal as comfortable as possible; you can also induce vomiting by giving hydrogen peroxide
internally.
I encourage you all to visit the Pawprints and Purrs website and view the complete plant listing at:
www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic
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Click here to view the complete issue
Also in this issue (click to view):
Cleaning House: Simple Recipes
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