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Dracaena is a group of plants that are very pretty and are often grown as pets. But when we bring plants into the house, our pets sometimes think we’ve set up a salad bar for them. Dogs and cats don’t always know what’s good for them, so it’s important to know how dangerous it is if they eat your plants. Read on to find out more about what to do if your pet eats a dracaena.
No, is the short answer. Both cats and dogs can get sick from dracaena. Or rather, a chemical found in the plant called saponin makes them sick.
If a dog eats dracaena leaves, it might throw up (sometimes with blood, sometimes without), have diarrhea, feel weak, drool, lose its hunger, feel sad, and get depressed.
If a cat eats dracaena, it will have the same effects, and its eyes may also get bigger.
If your dog or cat is eating dracaena leaves, you should take them to the vet. The most worrying thing about dracaena poisoning in pets is the signs it causes.
When dracaena, a plant that is only slightly poisonous, is eaten, it can cause:
The good thing is that it’s easy for a vet to treat, and your pet can get back on its feet quickly in a safe place. It’s better to be safe than sorry if you’re worried about your pet’s health. When a dracaena pet is poisoned, waiting it out can be very dangerous or even kill the pet.
If you’ve had a dracaena plant for a long time and your pet has never bothered it, it’s probably fine where it is. If you’ve had trouble, though, you should put it somewhere your pet can’t get to, like on a high shelf or in a hanging basket. You could also keep your pet out of a certain room.
At this point, you’re possibly asking yourself, “What will she have to go through to get better?”
That question actually has two answers. The first is about the poisons in dracaena, and the second is about the plant itself.
Even if the plant was safe, the leaves and roots would still make your pet’s stomach upset.
If your pet has been throwing up for a long time, she might have lost too much water.
When a person is severely dehydrated, she may need to go to the hospital so that she can get electrolytes and water through an IV.
If your cat ate dracaena leaves and is having trouble getting rid of them, your vet can make your cat throw up by giving it hydrogen peroxide.
One of the most popular types of this plant, D. marginata, has been eaten by pets, but no one has heard of any deaths.
With the help of your vet, your cat or dog should feel better in about 24 hours after eating dracaena parts.
Once all the plant parts (leaves or bark) have been gotten rid of, either by mouth or through the bowels, the symptoms should go away.
Because it has saponins, the dracaena is on the ASPCA’s list of plants that are dangerous for both cats and dogs. Saponins are found in many plants, including soybeans, alfalfa, and quinoa. They get their name from soapwort plants, which are called Saponaria.
Saponins are good for the plant because they kill insects and fungus on their own. When eaten in small amounts, they aren’t as dangerous, but when eaten in large amounts, they can be poisonous. Saponins can be found in the roots, leaves, stems, and bark of the dracaena.
If your cat has only been poisoned mildly, the signs will generally go away on their own in 12 to 24 hours.
Depending on a few things, your doctor may need to treat the signs. If your cat got sick and lost a lot of fluids through drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, your vet might give your cat fluids through an IV to help rehydrate it.
If your cat still has diarrhea and is throwing up, it is likely that it will be given medicine to stop it.
If your cat ate a lot of dracaena, your vet might need to pump their stomach or make them throw up to get rid of the plant. Activated charcoal could also be given to help get rid of the extra poisons.
Most importantly, you should give your cat time and place to heal. Make sure they are in a quiet place with as little stress as possible. Keep other animals or kids away from your cat, especially when it’s sleeping. When your cat comes to you for attention, make sure to pet and love on it.
There are chemicals called steroidal saponins in the leaves of these plants. It is one of a big group of compounds that are all dangerous.
Saponins are in a lot of foods and plants, like beans and spinach, but they don’t hurt people.
If you get rid of your poisonous plants, you can put in ones that are safe for cats. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a list of plants that are and are not dangerous. These are some examples of safe plants:
You can think about more than just these. Even though these plants are safer than dracaenas, you still don’t want your cat to eat them.
It’s possible that after the first time, your cat won’t want to chew on your dracaena. It will make them sick, and we know that our cats are (usually) smart enough to figure this out. Also, they don’t taste that good.
Your cat and dracaena might be able to get along well, but you might feel better if you only put plants in your house that are safe for cats.
