Toxic Plants.

Tis the season for people to bring plants into the house for the holidays. The biggest plant that people buy for the holidays of course re Poinsettia's. These are beautiful flowering plants, and come in many colors, and some are dyed to achieve the blue and green colors which are beautiful at best. But the Poinsettias are highly toxic to cats, and children as well. I checked on line to see how many plants where toxic to cats and the list contains 399 plants. Here are just a sample. Aloe, Amaryllis, also a holiday favorite, American Holly, Apple, Peace Lily, Pothos, all things many people have in their homes or yards. Here are some things to watch for. Since many plants are irritants especially for the gastrointestinal tract, most symptoms seen will be the result of irritation or inflammation. Such as redness, swelling, or itchiness of the skin or mouth. Some toxic principles directly affects a particular organ, the symptoms will be related to that organ. Examples Difficulty breathing (airways affected). Drooling or difficulty swallowing (mouth, throat, or esophagus affected). Vomiting (if stomach or intestines affected). Diarrhea ( if the intestines or colon are affected). Excessive drinking and urinating (if kidneys are affected). Fast, slow or irregular heart beat (if heart affected). Should you see any of these signs, contact your vet immediately. The best thing to do is of course not have these plants in your home, but should you be careful. Children as well as dogs can be affected by these plant as well. So here in the Catdom we wish everyone a Happy Holiday, but we also wish our many furry friends a Safe and Happy Holiday.