Being a responsible pet owner means ensuring your home is safe for your beloved fur baby. That's why it's essential to fill your home with non-toxic houseplants that won't harm your dog. If you have plants and pets, you might wonder how to maintain both and keep everyone safe. You don’t want to come home to spilled plants or a pup with an upset belly. Living with both is easier if you know what plants won’t harm your furry friends and if you train your pet to leave them alone.
Are African Violets Safe for Dogs?
If your dog is snacking on your plants, it is not only frustrating but also possibly scary. You don’t want them getting into anything harmful! Thankfully, there are a few things you can try to discourage your furry buddy from hanging around your plants.
Many pet owners wonder about the safety of African violets (Saintpaulia spp) in households with dogs. The good news is that African violets are generally considered non-toxic to dogs. However, it's essential to monitor your pets around them. While African violets are not poisonous to your pets or family, you will need to monitor your pets around them. Nothing in the plant attracts your pet to it other than the pretty colors and general curiosity. Touching the plant will not cause any harm, nor will smelling it.
Potential Risks and Symptoms
Yorkies may experience digestive upset and mild toxicity from chewing on certain household plants. African violets are generally non-toxic to dogs, but ingestion can cause mild gastrointestinal upset like drooling or vomiting. The sap or saponins can cause vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach, or cramping when consumed in large quantities. Minor consumption most likely will not cause symptoms, but they’re more likely to become sick if they’ve eaten a lot.
If you observe gastrointestinal upset, it is usually safe to let it resolve on its own. If vomiting persists, you can administer a quarter of a Pepcid (Famotidine) tablet or seek veterinary care for injectable anti-nausea medication. While this should not be necessary, it is a possibility.
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What to Do If Your Dog Chews on an African Violet:
- For an 8 lb Yorkie, monitor for symptoms such as lethargy, diarrhea, or excessive salivation.
- If only a small amount was chewed, serious issues are unlikely.
- Provide fresh water and prevent further access.
- Consult a vet if symptoms worsen or persist beyond 24 hours.
If you notice your dog has been in the African violets, or they seem to have some slight belly issues, keep a close eye on them to see if they throw up or have diarrhea. Take your dog to the vet immediately if they show signs of distress, like excessive salivation, panting, or tiredness. It’s a good idea to take a sample of the plant and the soil it was planted in.
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Other Considerations: Fertilizer
Besides the concern about a reaction to the saponins in the plant, you also want to pay attention to fertilizer use. Suppose you’re interested in supporting your plant’s growth. When considering what may have made your pet feel ill, consider your fertilizer. The effects can be mild or serious when our dogs come into contact with fertilizer products, which could contain harmful chemicals. Herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, phosphorus, iron, and nitrogen are toxic when eaten in large amounts. If you think your dog has eaten fertilizer or you just used it in your garden and your pup is acting sick, take them to the vet right away.
Tips to Keep Your Dog Away From Plants
For this reason, it’s good to keep the plants out of your dog’s reach. Noticing that your dog is snacking on your plants is not only frustrating but also possibly scary. You don’t want them getting into anything harmful! Thankfully, there are a few things you can try to discourage your furry buddy from hanging around your plants.
- Reinforcement: As with any training you’ve done with your pet, the same methods will work. Tell your pet no and move them away from the plant. Reward them for positive behavior. This will only work while you’re sitting there with your pet. Clicker training is a positive reinforcement training used for various behavior modifications. The “clicker” in question is a tool that makes a noise, distracting your dog. With consistency and positive reinforcement, they learn that when they hear noise, they should stop.
- Redirection: Much like reinforcement, you are introducing something to redirect your pet from the plant. This method takes consistency and patience. Spray diluted lemon juice on the plants. Most pooches dislike the taste of lemon, so lightly spraying your plants with diluted lemon juice should deter them. You can try a light spray of vinegar on your plants, but make sure it will not affect your plant’s growth before choosing this option.
- Move the plant out of their reach: You can use hanging planters or plant stands and place the plants on furniture out of your dog’s reach. For many, this is the easiest answer.
Other Dog-Safe Houseplants
Besides African violets, several other houseplants are safe for dogs, including:
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- Banana Tree
- Spider Plant
- Christmas Cactus
- Venus Flytrap
- Wax Plant
- Bamboo
Plants to Avoid
Some non-toxic plants have similarities to toxic ones. Many varieties of true ferns are safe for your pets, like the Boston fern or the maidenhair. However, some "fake" ferns may actually be toxic, like the asparagus fern, which isn't a fern at all. You also want to be careful with herbs, succulents, and palms, since some are safe while others can be very poisonous. The same can be said for daisies (which are toxic to dogs and cats) while African daisies aren't.
Here is a table of plants to avoid:
| Plant | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Alocasia (Elephant's Ear) | Alocasia spp. |
| Amaryllis | Amaryllis spp. |
| Begonia | Begonia spp. |
| Boxwood | Buxus spp. |
| Chrysanthemum | Chrysanthemum spp. |
Adding plants can help with the air quality and ambiance in your home. You can enhance that effect with a comfy bed for your pet. Enjoy growing your African violet plants in your home knowing your dog should be fine as long as you keep the plant out of their reach.
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