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LIFESTYLE

always be kept safely out of reach. Take care
if you opt to proceed with weed . . . !
WHAT TO DO IN A
SYRINGA
Although a very popular plant in South POISONING EMERGENCY
African gardens, the majestic syringa, with If you suspect your pet has eaten or been exposed to a poisonous
its lilac flowers, dark leaves, cream-coloured plant, as with any veterinary emergency, the key is to act quickly. Take
berries and much-admired fragrance on photos of the suspected offending plant, or take a piece of it along to
a summer evening, is actually an exotic, show the vet.
originally from India. The berries are often
munched by unsuspecting dogs, livestock The majority of plant toxicity cases show similar symptoms*:
and children and are extremely toxic, • Drooling
resulting in severe abdominal cramping, • Vomiting
vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors and even • Diarrhoea
death.
• Abdominal cramping
• Tremors
SO WHAT CAN I PLANT? • Seizures
At this point, you’re probably wondering • Disorientation
whether ripping up the whole garden and • Dilated pupils
laying paving might be the best idea. But • Listlessness.
don’t call in the bulldozers just yet. There
are plenty of plants that are perfectly safe
for our furry family members to frolic in
and around (and even to take the odd
nibble of...). Herbs like Sage, Dill, Parsley,
Rosemary, Mint, Thyme and Lavender are
great pet-friendly options, as are Violets,
Begonias, Snapdragons and Sunflowers, for
a stunning spectacle. The magnificent Bird
of Paradise (Strelitzia) is a good guy and so
are daisies. Dogs and cats love nibbling on
grasses, which are safe for them.

The staff at your local nursery or garden
store will be only too happy to give you
advice and a quick check online also yields
loads of helpful information regarding
toxic and safe garden plants. Don’t forget
to ask about fertilisers and pesticides
you might plan to use in the garden.
Use of carbamate and organophosphate
insecticides on plants can lead to
secondary poisoning of pets.

If you’d like to incorporate certain toxic
plants in your chosen garden designs, what
about creating a space with all access to
pets restricted? You could even go a step
further and plant them their very own pet-
friendly patch on a specially designated part
of the property where they can play, chew,
chase and dig in complete safety and with
reckless abandon. Make it a pet-fun-zone
with splash pools for dogs, sandpits where
they can happily dig for toys and chews
without upsetting anyone, trees for kitties to
climb and plenty of Catnip or Catmint plants,
scrubby foliage and resilient grass species
to roll about on without concerns about
allergies. The only limit is your imagination. Tomato plants contain substances called glycoalkaloids, which
We are fortunate in SA that our pets are will cause nasty tummy upsets for pets if eaten.
able to enjoy plenty of outdoor time. Design
them a garden-haven where they can enjoy
the sunshine and fresh air in complete * Additional resources:
safety. http://betterhousekeeper.com/2014/08/01/10-tips-for-gardening-with-dogs-
heres-how-to-keep-them-and-you-garden-safe/
Here’s to the New Year filled with superb The University of Pretoria Library website offers helpful content on
summer days and evenings spent in symptoms of specific plant toxicity,
gardens that are not only spectacular to look visit: www.library.up.ac.za/vet/poison/index.htm
at but are also safe places for pets and kids
to do all the things that pets and kids love to For a comprehensive and international guide to pet-toxic plants, visit The
do, without a care in the world. Humane Society of the United States website:
www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/poisonous-plants-to-pets.pdf
Happy 2020 from all at Twisted Whiskers Pet
Deli and Spa.
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