I had a bit of a scare the past couple of days when 5 year old Charlie was eating the little red seeds from a couple of Pittosporum Tobira (Mock Orange) shrubs in my garden. It's a pretty common ornamental on the west coast. He got lethargic, just standing or slowly walking around for hours and seemed to have trouble sitting or laying down. My vet had no information on this plant and the various sources on the web had it listed as either toxic or safe. I then found out that the ASPCA poison hot line now wants $60 before they will talk to you. I understand the need to recover costs for a non-profit, but that seems a little steep for an emergency service to pet owners. Why doesn't ASPCA or one of the veterinary colleges just provide a list or searchable database of known toxic plants to avoid and their symptoms?
I cut down the plants, Charlie had a good night's sleep, and seems better today. If you have dogs and a garden, there are lots of plants to avoid. It is worth looking at the lists if you are landscaping. Some of them are common nursery plants. Here is the one that listed Pittosporum as toxic. It's from California and may not be as useful to other parts of the country.
http://www.midtownanimalclinic.com/poisonous%20plants.htm |
