Pothos is one of the most popular house plants that many people keep in their homes. But if you have a pet in your home, you may wonder “Are pothos toxic to pets?” To answer this question, I should say yes, the pothos plant is toxic to pets such as dogs, cats, mice, hamsters, rabbits, horses, etc. They cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and mouth and stomach burning, but don’t worry (Are Pothos Toxic to Cats?) , Pothos toxicity in pets is not fatal. in this video from our team in theHplants site, we will give you every thing you need to know about the symptoms of pothos Toxicity in pets, how to keep it at home if you have a pet, how to treat pet Toxicity due to eating pothos plant, and many other related issues. but make sure to read the article on how to care for pothos first.
pothos toxic to pets
As mentioned, the pothos is toxic to pets . In the leaves and stems of this plant, there is a substance called calcium oxalate crystals, the release of which will poison your pet. Therefore, if your pet bites or chews the stem or leaf of the pothos plant, it will release this substance. As this crystal passes through your pet’s mouth, through the throat, and goes to the stomach, it inflames everything along the way and causes burning in and around the pet’s mouth. It should be noted that the Toxicity caused in pets is not fatal and only causes some symptoms in your pet, so if your pet ingests this plant, do not panic and follow the instructions calmly.
Symptoms of Pothos Toxicity
As we said, pothos toxic to pets is not fatal but causes some symptoms in your pet. Symptoms include:
- Itchy mouth
- Vomiting
- Reducing the animal’s appetite
- Whine
- Excessive drooling
- Noticeable reduction in drinking water
- Diarrhea
- Sore throat
If you keep a Pothos plant in your home and see any of the mentioned symptoms in your pet, it is better to discuss them with your veterinarian. Your vet may ask you to take your pet to him immediately or prescribe remote care solutions to reduce your pet’s pain.
What to Do if My Pet Eats Pothos?
The first thing is to make sure that your pet has eaten the plant. Because the wrong diagnosis and treatment may cause irreparable damage to your pet. To ensure there are no symptoms due to pothos Toxicity, first, check the inside of your pet’s mouth; it is possible that some of the leaves or stems of the plant are left in her mouth. Another thing you can do is to check the leaves and stems of the Pothos plant; surely, a part of this plant will be damaged due to being eaten. After making sure that the symptoms appear due to eating the Pothos plant, contact the veterinarian immediately and tell her the symptoms appeared in your pet. Surely, the veterinarian will ask you the necessary questions and give you the necessary instructions according to the severity of the symptoms.
Common actions that are performed in the treatment of Pothos Toxicity
mouth wash
Usually, the first step veterinarians take is washing the inside and around the pet’s mouth. This action reduces the burning and inflammation of the mouth and around the mouth and greatly reduces the pet’s pain. Washing cleans any residues and toxins in the pet’s mouth and reduces inflammation to a great extent. Of course, this operation can be done by the person at home before taking the pet to the vet because it does not require special expertise, and on the other hand, the pain in the pet can be reduced sooner.
Gastric lavage
The next step is washing the pet’s stomach. Usually, this step is done when your pet has completely eaten a piece of Pothos plant. The proper term for a stomach wash is a gastric lavage. In this procedure, a narrow tube is passed from inside the pet’s mouth through the esophagus to his stomach, and the contents are pumped out. This will clean all the toxins accumulated in the pet’s stomach.
Pain relief
When the toxins are completely removed from your pet’s stomach, the vet may prescribe some dairy products to relieve the pain in your pet. Dairy products are very useful in reducing the pain caused by oxalate crystal release, and many veterinarians use dairy products instead of pain relievers.
Other treatments
If your pet’s reaction to Pothos Toxicityis very high, the veterinarian will prescribe some other drugs. For example, if your pet’s vomiting is high, the veterinarian may prescribe anti-emetic medicine, or if the pain level is high, he may prescribe painkillers.
Can I have a pothos plant if I have a dog?
It is suggested that if you have pets at home, do not use poisonous plants. There are many other plants that you can keep in your home that are not dangerous for pets. But if you insist on keeping a pothos plant in your home, you should keep this plant away from your pet. For example, you can use ceiling hanging pots and hang the pothos plant from the ceiling or place it in a part of the house where your pet is not present; for example, the upper shelves are a good place to put the pothos plant. Another solution is to use special sprays. These sprays have a special smell that the pet hates, and when you spray them on the plant, your pet will not come close to the plant. But in general, avoiding keeping this plant is recommended if you have a pet.
Conclusion of pothos toxic to pets
In this article, we investigated whether pothos toxic to pets and said that if your pet eats this plant, what symptoms will appear, and what actions you should take. Also, in the end, we provided solutions for keeping the pothos plant at home if you have a pet. Let us know in the comments section if you have any questions about this issue. Thank you for accompanying us to the end of this article. Love you thehplants team.
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