are ZZ plant toxic to cats and pets? In the greenhouse of those who love houseplants you will definitely find the Zamioculcas Zamiifolia plant . It is a beautiful plant that is easy to keep. Is it safe in a house with a baby or where animals such as dogs and cats are kept? Some may question why a plant should not be safe for a house. Some plants are poisonous and can be harmful to humans or pets. Follow us in this article to learn more about this plant.
Name: | ZZ plants |
family: | Araceae |
Toxic for: | Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses |
Toxic substance: | Insoluble calcium oxalates |
Clinical Signs: | Get to know more about the Zamioculcas Zamiifolia plant. |
Is the ZZ plant toxic?
Yes, the ZZ plant is toxic to both humans and pets. If you have sensitive skin, the contact of your hand with the sap of this plant and some cases of contact with its leaves can cause an allergic reaction. Also, ZZ plants can irritate the skin and eyes by direct contact and cause stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea if consumed. So, if you intend to keep it at home, put it in a place that is out of the reach of children and pets, and then we will thoroughly review all the cases together.
Meanwhile, many people thought years ago that this plant causes cancer, which was a completely wrong idea.
Get to know more about the ZZ plant.
Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, also known as the ZZ plant, is more famous for being resistant to unfavourable conditions, and for this reason, it is easy and convenient to keep this plant. This plant should not be placed in direct sunlight, and this plant grows well in shade and semi-shade. In irrigation, it is better to let the soil surface dry and then do irrigation. This plant has different types, including ZZ plant Raven, the most famous of which is ZZ plant Green. This plant is considered one of the toxic plants, a plant that you must be careful of to avoid an accident or side effects. This plant has a compound that causes problems such as redness, skin swelling or even digestive problems if it comes into contact with the skin or is eaten.
If you want your plant to grow well, read the article care of a ZZ plant.
What is the toxic compound in ZZ plant?
The toxic compound in the Zamioculcas Zamiifolia plant is a compound called calcium oxalate. This substance is produced by all parts of the Zamioculcas Zamiifolia plant (leaves, stems, roots, and even rhizobium). A compound known as a stimulant, this substance itself is not toxic. When you look at this substance under a microscope, you will notice that it has a crystalline appearance, or more precisely, it is composed of tiny crystals. Crystals have sharp and jagged edges; because of these sharp edges, they cut and stimulate the receptors in humans. This substance is mostly found in the plant sap, and if ZZ plant sap is exposed to the skin, it can cause human skin irritation.
How poisonous is the ZZ plant?
Ingestion of the leaves and sap can be toxic to humans and pets, but handling the plant only causes minor problems at worst. If you intend to propagate or take cuttings from the plant, it is better to use gloves.
How much is the toxicity of ZZ plant for humans?
As it was said, the ZZ plant is toxic to humans due to the production of calcium oxalate. The most common symptom it causes in humans is when the human skin is in contact with the sap of this plant. For example, when you change the plant pot, or the plant branch is broken for any reason, the sap comes out and comes into contact with your skin. When the skin comes into contact with plant sap, it becomes red and itchy, and sometimes this redness and itching may be accompanied by pain, or even in some people, it may cause blisters. Another symptom that may be more painful is when a hand contaminated with plant sap touches your eye. In this case, calcium oxalate with sharp edges will irritate the soft tissue of the eye and cause itching, burning, redness and tears.
Also, this plant produces the same substance that human kidney stones are made of, calcium oxalate. This substance has a crystal-like shape with sharp edges. This irritates the skin in contact with the sap and can irritate internal tissues if consumed.
Why does my ZZ Plant have yellow leaves, and how to overcome it?
If eaten, what are the symptoms of poisoning?
If any part of the ZZ plant is eaten, it can irritate the digestive system, and in more severe cases, it can lead to diarrhea or vomiting in people. Calcium oxalate tears the cellular tissue when eaten and chewed and causes swelling and burning in the tongue and throat area. Pain, stomach discomfort, and difficulty swallowing can also be symptoms of poisoning due to eating the Zamioculcas Zamiifolia plant.
Do we get poisoned by touching the ZZ plant?
All parts of the ZZ plant contain calcium oxalate, but you can keep this plant at home without any problems. The stems and leaves of this plant are covered with wax, which prevents the plant’s toxic substance from coming into contact with the skin.
Are the ZZ plants toxic to pets such as dogs and cats?
The frequent question that is asked a lot is, are ZZ plant toxic to cats? We will explain this in detail below. As well as being harmful and poisonous to humans, the Zamophilia plant is also toxic to pets such as dogs and cats and shows the same symptoms and mechanism of action. The symptoms of poisoning in pets may be completely consistent with your poisoning symptoms, or the symptoms may appear only around their mouths, noses, and eyes. If your pet has diarrhea or vomiting, take care of their body fluids and do not let them become dehydrated. If the symptoms are more severe, be sure to visit a veterinarian.
This plant is indeed poisonous, but it is not fatal for pets. A pet that comes into contact with the ZZ plant may develop inflammation of the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.
Eating the leaves and stems of the plant by pets can cause more problems; after a pet eats the plant, you can expect your dog or cat to have a stomachache and bad diarrhea.
ZZ plant toxic to cats?
Yes, ZZ plant is poisonous to cats, and if your pet tries to eat the ZZ plant, the sharp crystals will cause a sore mouth in your cat. which often results in spitting out the plant, but this is not always the case, and after biting the yellow leaf, the cat will swallow it, which will cause digestive problems.
Also check out ZZ Plant Leaves Curling reasons + solution
Important points about the toxicity of ZZ plant
Now that you have read about the ZZ plant toxic to cats, animals and humans, what should we observe when keeping this plant?
- If the poisoning symptoms are severe, be sure to see a doctor.
- Keep the ZZ plant out of the reach of children and babies and place the plant high or hanging in the house.
- Keep the ZZ plant out of the reach of children and babies and place the plant high or hanging in the house.
- Keep the ZZ plant out of the reach of children and babies and place the plant high or hanging in the house.
- If you have a dog or a cat, keep the plant away as much as possible or use materials that smell bad and put them in a pot because cats and dogs avoid strong and bad smells. Materials such as citrus peel or coffee grounds.
- Be sure to use gloves when changing pot soil or to propagate this plant.
- Be careful when moving the pot, so the plant does not get broken or injured.
- In case of skin contact with plant sap, wash your hands quickly with soap and water.
- If you are allergic to this plant, replacing zamophilia with another plant is better. If you can be careful, keeping this beautiful plant is not difficult or impossible, but you have to be careful so that the plant’s sap does not come into contact with your skin.
How to store toxic ZZ plant safely?
ZZ plants are beautiful and very popular houseplants that many people like to keep in their homes and workplaces, but the toxicity of Zamioculcas Zamiifolia can be an important issue in their maintenance. But don’t be too sensitive; you can keep it with pets and children because it is very rare that you will encounter problems unless your children and animals start eating the leaves of this plant. As much as possible, place the plant somewhere that is out of the reach of your children and animals.
The last word about the ZZ plant toxic to pet and human
we in thehplant team tried to make you more familiar with the toxicity of the ZZ plant so that you do not have any problems or complications when keeping this beautiful and easy plant because if you are informed, you can act better and more accurately.