Hydrangea Plants and Dogs
Homeowners prize hydrangea bushes for their lush foliage and their large globe-like flowers. While they may be pleasing to the eye, the buds and leaves are not pleasant to the stomach of a dog.
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Varieties
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The hydrangea can grow to look like a bush. Alternate names for the hydrangea, or hydrangea arborescens, are hortensia, seven bark and hills of snow. Members of the hydrangea family can appear as flowering trees or bushes.
Toxic Portion
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Dogs can be sickened by hydrangeas. The hydrangea contains cyanogenic glycosides. When leaves and buds are mashed through chewing, enzymes combine with the cyanogenic glycosides and cyanide is produced.
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Symptoms
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A symptom of poison is depression. Ingestion causes digestive irritation and inflammation. Poisoned dogs exhibit diarrhea and bloody stools. Look for depression as an additional sign.
Prevention
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Hydrangeas are popular in floral arrangements. Voluminous hydrangea blooms are attractive in a floral arrangement. When cutting buds and bringing them indoors, keep them out of your dog's reach. Do not plant them in the areas in which a dog plays and relieves itself to prevent temptation.
Treatment
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Call a veterinarian for guidance. Promptly contact a veterinarian, emergency clinic or an animal poison help hotline for instruction. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed, as the practice may be ineffective if ingestion occurred more than two hours earlier, if the dog has lost consciousness or if it has already vomited.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of merec0 Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Marjon Kruik Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Nic Adler Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Amazon CARES Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of jenny downing Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Louise Docker
