10 Plants to Remove from Your Dog’s Yard

I have to admit that I love sago palms. I love the look of them and the tropical feel they give a yard.

But we don’t have a sago palm — and we’ll never have a sago palm — because they’re deadly to dogs. One of many, many toxic plants you’ll find on the ASPCA website, they’re just one of the top 10 plants we want you to make sure your dog has no access to in your yard or on your walks:

Azaleas (Rhododendron): Ah, these beauties are very popular in East Texas and whole drives are devoted to seeing their spring blooms. However, Azalea or Rhododendron is extremely toxic to pets causing problems that include damage to skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and nerve functions. What begins as digestive issues can progress to loss of coordination, stupor, a weak heartbeat, leg paralysis, and even death.

Castor Bean: Ricin — yes, that ricin — is made from castor beans. Eating just one ounce of of the seeds can cause excessive thirst as well as trembling, loss of coordination, breathing difficulties, coma, and death.

Daffodil: Watch for the bulbs of this spring beauty; they’re the most toxic part of the plant. Eating daffodil bulbs can result in cardiac arrhythmia, tremors, convulsions, and low blood pressure.

English Ivy: This ivy is so common around many homes and can result in a long list of digestive issues such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea as well as hyper salivation.

Lantana: We have lantana in our yard but located outside the fenced area, so the dogs are never near it unless on leash. If your dog eats lantana, it can cause digestive upset and even labored breathing.

Lilies: All part of the lily are toxic but especially the bulbs; watch for low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmia if ingested. Lilies are extremely toxic to cats so keep all parts of the plants away from the feline members of your family.

Morning Glory: We all love morning glories, right? Well, not so much if you’re a dog; ingesting this climbing plant can result in everything from tremors to anorexia to hallucinations.

Oleander: We really have to watch our dogs around the oleander plants that thrive on the Texas coast. Every part of these flowering plants are toxic to dogs (and other animals). Troubles including difficulty breathing, muscle tremors, and even cardiac failure can result from ingestion.

Sago Palm: Yes, we’re back to this one because so many people just don’t realize how deadly the seeds of this plant are. Ingestion of just one seed can be fatal.

Tulip: Again, it’s the bulbs of this plant that are the troublemakers. Watch for oral and gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, cardiac impairment, and even convulsions if eaten.

If you think your dog may have eaten one of these plants or another poisonous plant, call your veterinarian or call ASPCA’s 24-hour emergency pet poison hotline at 1-888-426-4435 (there is a consultation fee for callers).

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