News on plant toxicity

I subscribe to The Pet Place Cat Crazy newsletter but occasionally it will give info that can help pets of all kinds. Dr. John, who writes the newsletter (not sure if he's a real doctor...heheh) was recently researching (not sure how recently) newly discovered plant toxicities. Now I'm not sure how new this discovery is because the newsletter brings up some issues that I've already seen or known (i.e. it recently posted a funny cat video that's been around for years).

BUT!! you can never get too much information on plants that can be poisonous to your pet (and you in some cases). This one surprised me! And I see allot of these plants in people's yards and homes. Before you even think about getting a Sago Palm tree you might want to read this.

Now in reality a Sago palm isn't a palm tree like those big, tall ones that you see (my mom has one of those...not sure if she has a Sago palm.) According to a wikipedia article it is part of the gymnosperm family (I'm not a botanist here so I'm not even going to delve into that one...LOL!! though it looks like Pine trees are part of that as well). According to the pet place article the Sago Palm is a stocky, spiky leaved member of the Cycad family of plants. According to them the plant is a lovely addition to residential landscapes in the sunny climates of the Southern United States. And in recent years, miniature or "bonsai" versions have also found their way into homes.

But pet owners should know that this plant is highly toxic. According to the ASPCA, 50 to 75 percent of cases involving ingestion of Sago Palm result in fatalities, further illustrating the serious danger that the plant poses. The article also says:

Sago and other cycad palms contain toxic compounds that can potentially produce vomiting and diarrhea, weakness, seizures and even liver failure and death in cats and dogs.

"Many people familiar with this plant's poisonous nature assume that the only poisonous portions are the seed, or nut from the female," says Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, veterinary toxicologist and Vice President of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. "However, all parts of these plants are toxic, whether male or female."

As a refresher, here's a list of the 17 most common poisonous plants according to the ASPCA. Like I said you can never get enough of this information.

Here's another list of plants deemed to be safe for pets and people. But like it says, please note that the information is not all-inclusive. Click here for the list.

If your pet has been poisoned please call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. The center is open seven days a week, 365 days a year.