Pet Poison Q & A: Shedding Light on Bulbs
I received an amaryllis bulb for growing indoors as a holiday gift, but I am worried that my two puppies might get into the plant while I’m not looking. Is this plant dangerous to dogs?
—Joan C.
It certainly could be, Joan. Many varieties in the Amaryllidaceae family, including Hippeastrum spp. (commonly known as amaryllis), contain potentially irritating substances such as lycorine. The bulb, or rhizome, is usually considered to be the most toxic, but other parts can also possibly produce intense gastrointestinal irritation, depression, drooling (hypersalivation), loss of appetite and tremors, if eaten in large quantities. Based on this, we do advise keeping these plants out of the reach of pets.
More new questions:
- Is zucchini safe for my dog to eat?
- Can I use ice melt around pets?
—Joan C.
It certainly could be, Joan. Many varieties in the Amaryllidaceae family, including Hippeastrum spp. (commonly known as amaryllis), contain potentially irritating substances such as lycorine. The bulb, or rhizome, is usually considered to be the most toxic, but other parts can also possibly produce intense gastrointestinal irritation, depression, drooling (hypersalivation), loss of appetite and tremors, if eaten in large quantities. Based on this, we do advise keeping these plants out of the reach of pets.
More new questions:
- Is zucchini safe for my dog to eat?
- Can I use ice melt around pets?
posted by ASPCA at 9:33 AM PERMALINK
1 Comments:
Here is an important note to pass along! My house mate got an amaryllis or hippeastrum bulb. Instead of planting it in dirt, she placed it in a WATER dish with decorative stones around it.
MY CAT DRANK THE WATER AROUND THE BULB!
Thankfully, we caught his unusual digestive disorder/increased drinking and dilated pupils and did a quick checklist of items in the house! I had no idea about amaryllis, and especially the rooting of them in water which cats do find especially attractive. Be sure to spread the word on this!
Jan Otto
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