Toxic And Non-Toxic Plants For Dogs

Back in late July/ early August when Henley gave the fright of my life by eating something (not sure what) and getting toxicity poison from it (still unknown exactly what “it” was) I looked more closely into what plants are and aren’t deadly for dogs. I must say there isn’t much information on what plants are “safe” for dogs. There’s plenty on what plants are poisonous but not the other way round. So I thought it would be helpful to develop two lists that depicts the most common plants found in your garden that are toxic and a its of plants that are non-toxic for dogs:
I should also point out that this list will pertain to plants native and exotic to Australia.

White Bottlebrush (Callistemon salignus) Safe for Dogs. 

Non-Toxic Plants:

African Daisy Gerbera jemesonii
African Violet Saintpaulia spp.
Baby’s Tears (aka Polka Dot Plant) Hypoestes phyllostachya
Bamboo Palm Chamaedorea elegans
Beetroot (aka Swiss Chard) Beta vulgaris
Bottlebrush
Buttercup Squash Cucurbita maxima cv
Buzzy Lizzie (aka Giant Touch-Me-Not, Patient Lucy) Impatiens spp.
Callistemon
Carrot Daucus carota var. sativa
Celosia plumosa (aka Cockscomb) 
Chickens and Hens (aka Nother Hens and Chicks) Echeveria elegans
Cinnamon
Cornflower (aka Bacelors buttons) Centaurea cyanus
Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia indica
Cucumber
Garden Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus
Gerber Daisy Gerbera jamesonii
Honeydew Melon Cucumis melo
Jasmine Jasminium species
Marigold Calendula officinalis
Mulberry Tree Morus sp.
Pampas Grass Cortaderia selloana
Petunia Petunia species
Rose Rosa species
Strawberry Fragaria
Sunflower Helianthus angustifolius
Venus Fly Trap Droseraceae

Toxic Plants:

Poisonous for dogs: the Poppy

  

Agapanthus
Aloe vera
Amaryllis
Apple 
Apricot
Arum lily
Azalea/Rhododendron
Baby’s Breath
Begonia’s
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Brunfelsia (aka Yesterday, today and tomorrow)
Carnations
Clematis
Cherry Tree
Chrysanthemum
Cyclamen
Daffodil
Dahlia
Daphne
Foxglove
Garlic
Gardenia
Geranium
Gladiola
Grapefruit
Helebore
Hibiscus
Holly
Horse Chestnut
Hosta
Hydrangea
Hyacinth
Iris
Ivy
Jade Plant (aka Dwarf rubber plant) Crassula argentea
Jonquil
Lantana
Laurel
Lemon
Lilies (entire family)
Lily of the Valley
Lime
Morning Glory
Macadamia
Nandina (aka Sacred bamboo, Hevenly Bamboo) Nandina domestica
Norfolk Island Pine (aka Australian Pine)
Oleander 
Orange
Periwinkle (aka Running Myrtle) Vinca rosea
Peony
Poinsettias
Poppies
Portulaca (aka Pigwee, Wild Portulaca, Moss Rose) Portulaca leeracea
Primrose
Privet
Rhubarb
Sage Palm
Snow drops
Snowflakes
Sweet Pea (Lathyrus latifolius
Tomato Plants
Tulips
Walnuts
Wandering jew
Wisteria
Yucca

While compiling the lists I also remembered that fertilisers and pest control (rodent poisons, snail and slug bait and insecticides) can cause allergic reactions for dogs (and cats) and even death in some instances if digested or come into direct contact with. Fertilisers come in many forms: liquid, granular or solid form. So its best to watch out or be aware of the ingredients in your fertilisers.

Another trouble area that can occur with dogs (puppies especially) is what mulch you use in your garden. Some puppies and dogs (Henley included) will gladly pick up, chew and eat bark mulch. This can be a choking hazard or lead to gastrointestinal issues. In other parts of the world a popular type of mulch available (not readily available in Australia) is Cocoa Bean Mulch. Yep chocolate mulch, it's as bad if not worse than if your dog digested chocolate. Pine mulch is an alternative that dogs tend to not eat due to the shape and size of the needles found in it. So keep an eye out and see what plants are found in your garden or have a look at what plants are safe for your canine family members. 

A great website to check out a more thorough list of plants poisonous to dogs and other pets is the Pet Poison Helpline (http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/).

Do you have any plants that you think should be on one of the two lists? Let me know and I'll add them to it.