Lisa Bunnell, RVT, LVT
“Spring is Sprung, the Grass is Ris, I Wonder Where the Flowers Is?” was my grandfather’s standard greeting for the warm-up of spring. And if your dog is anything like mine, digging up a raised bed full of little green sprouts to see from whence they came is the height of doggie enjoyment – especially when that green sprout is connected to a naturally-made ball, also known as an ornamental bulb.
A lot of common perennial gardens include flowers like tulips, lilies, crocus, dahlias, iris, daffodils, caladium, and canna lilies, and are often included in cut flower arrangements to be brought inside, as well. By and large, the leaves, blossoms, and stems of these types of plants are minimally toxic and will typically only cause an upset stomach (exceptions for lilies will be discussed later). The most concerning part of these plants are the bulbs, or roots. Most toxic components for these types of plants (classified as “ornamental bulbs”) are concentrated in the bulb, so more significant stomach upset (drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite) can be seen when part of the bulb is chewed or ingested. The additional risk comes from large chunks, or many bulbs being swallowed (think your dog digging up an entire flower bed or getting into a bag of bulbs waiting to be planted). Bulbs don’t break down in the GI tract as well as plant material and carry a greater risk of becoming stuck, causing a GI foreign body obstruction in addition to the possible stomach upset. Dogs and cats that ingest these plants can generally be managed at home but may require medical care if signs are more than mild or an obstruction has occurred.
The exceptions to these concerns are lilies. Whenever you add lilies to your garden, you should make sure to check the scientific name of the plant, as there are several flowers whose common name is “lily” that are not part of the Lilium or Hemerocallis species of plants – for example, amaryllis plants are often called ‘orchid lilies’, but are amaryllis species. “True” lilies are generally Tiger, Stargazer, Oriental, Japanese or Easter lilies. Hemerocallis, or “day lilies” are currently considered a “true” lily as well, but studies are currently being conducted to determine if they truly carry the same risk to our cat friends as the lilium species. It is extremely important to note that all parts of true lilies are toxic to cats. Pollen, petals, leaves, stems, and even water that cut flowers have been sitting in can cause kidney toxicity and failure and exposure in any form should be considered an emergency and treated as such. Treatment for lily exposures in cats is treatable, but like most situations, early intervention can determine the success and ultimate cost of the treatment.
