Poisoning by Garden and Houseplants, Algae, and Fungi

The risk of poisoning in our dogs and cats from garden and houseplants is often underestimated. Algae, such as blue-green algae in bodies of water, can also be dangerous, especially for dogs who enjoy swimming. Many fungi are highly toxic, but they are rarely ingested by dogs or cats.

A comprehensive list of plants poisonous and non-poisonous to dogs and cats was compiled by
the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). They can be accessed via this link.

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list

Not all plants listed there are equally relevant for our dogs and cats, so only a small portion of the plants mentioned by the ASPCA will be discussed here.

Poisonous plants are classified in veterinary toxicology as:

• mildly toxic (+)
• toxic +
• highly toxic ++
• very highly toxic +++

Since dogs and cats are not herbivores and generally ingest only small amounts of plants, only highly toxic plants (++) and very highly toxic plants (+++) are listed in this documentation.

When considering these garden and houseplants, it should be evaluated whether they should be used in your own garden (if accessible to
dogs and cats) or as houseplants and in flower bouquets.