A WARNING has been issued to pet owners of the dangers conkers, plants and wild mushrooms pose to pets as autumn hits its stride.

Insurers MORE TH>N have issued figures as part of its Pet Safe campaign that reveal dogs face a heightened risk of poisoning when walked in Britain’s many forests and parks.

Household gardens are also identified as a danger zone for toxic fungi, making them potentially perilous for pets.

According to the study, over three quarters (78 per cent) of Britain’s gardens contain plants that are toxic, and potentially fatal, to cats and dogs.

Despite the dangers there is a widespread ignorance of the perils plant life can pose to animals, with one in every three pet owners (31 per cent) admitting they have no idea if the plants in their gardens are toxic.

The same number were unaware that plants could be poisonous to pets, while 71 per cent of all pet owners cannot identify any of the symptoms of poisoning in their cat or dog.

MORE TH>N’s Pet Safe campaign is designed to raise awareness of the issue of cats and dogs being poisoned by plants in gardens, parks and open spaces abundant in plant life and fungi.

As part of the campaign MORE TH>N is directly calling on plant producers, manufacturers of garden products and retailers to provide clearer labelling to help pet owners easily identify if items are safe or harmful to cats and dog.

To date, over 30 Members of Parliament have supported MORE TH>N’s aims for clearer labelling.

For more information on this campaign petition please visit https://www.change.org/p/uk-government-protect-our-pets-through-clearer-labelling-of-plants-flowers-and-seeds

John Ellenger, Head of Pet Insurance at MORE TH>N, commented: “The MORE TH>N Pet Safe Campaign allows us to raise awareness of the dangers of plants that are poisonous to cats and dogs.

"The campaign is about taking direct and immediate action – by both urging suppliers and retailers of garden plants and flowers to provide clear ‘pet safe’ labelling, while also better educating pet owners on the issue.

“Through this campaign we’ll be arming pet owners with the practical advice and information they need to identify safe and dangerous plants, to recognise the symptoms of poisoning – and what to do in that eventuality – and above all to reduce the likelihood of their beloved pets becoming ill in the first place.”

Common toxic plant lists to avoid in the garden

Aloe Vera

Amaryllis bulbs

Angels Trumpet (Brugmansia)

Apple (seeds)

Apricots (kernels)

Asparagas Fern

Avocado (fruit, pith, leaves)

Azalea (all parts)

Baby's Breath

Begonia

Bird of Paradise

Bishop's Weed

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra Formosa)

Bluebell

Buxus / Box (all parts, mostly leaves)

Carnation

Clematis (all parts)

Cordyline (Grass palm)

Crocus (all)

Chrysanthemum (all parts)

Cyclamen (foliage, flowers, stems)

Daffodil (all parts)

Daisy

Dahlia

Daphne (berries, bark, leaves)

Deadly Nightshade

Delphinium (all parts, especially the sprouts)

Elephant's Ears (leaves, stems, roots)

Elderberry (leaves, bark, roots and buds)

Eucalyptus (all parts)

Foxglove / Digitalis (leaves, stems, flowers, seeds)

Garlic

Gardenia

Geranium (all parts)

Gladiola (bulbs)

Grape Plant / Vine

Hellebore

Hibiscus

Holly (leaves, berries and stems)

Hosta

Hyacincth (bulbs, leaves, flowers)

Hydrangea (all parts)

Iris (bulbs)

Ivy (all species - leaves, berries)

Japanese Yew (needles, seeds, bark)

Laburnum (leaves and seeds)

Larkspur (all parts)

Lillies (all parts)

Lime

Lily Of The Valley (all parts)

Leopard Lily

Lobelia

Lupin (all parts)

Mallow

Marigold (new leaves, stems)

Mistletoe

Monkshood / Aconite (roots, foliage, seeds)

Morning Glory (all parts)

Narcissus (all parts)

Oak / Acorns (all parts)

Oleander (all parts)

Onion (all parts)

Periwinkle (all parts)

Peony (foliage, flowers)

Philodendron (leaves, stems, roots)

Pinks

Poinsetta

Primrose (all parts)

Privet

Prunus Rotundifolia Laurel

Poppy (all parts)

Potato (sprouts, vines, unripe tubers)

Privet

Ranunculus (Buttercup)

Ragwort (all parts above ground)

Rhododendron (leaves)

Rgubarb leaves

Snowdrops (all parts)

Sweet Pea (all parts)

Sweet William

Tobacco Plant

Tomato Plant (foliage, vines, green fruit)

Tulip (bulbs)

Verbena (foliage and flowers)

Weeping Fig (Indian Rubber)

Wild Cherry Tree

Wisteria (seeds and pods)

Yarrow

Yew

Yucca

*It is recommended you consult your vet immediately if you see signs of distress in your animal.

It’s not just plants and flowers you need to consider when planning a safe garden for your cat or dog, the following can also prove hazardous: 

ACORNS AND CONKERS: Toxic if eaten.

ALGAE: Toxic freshwater algae (usually blue-green in colour, but sometimes colourless) has been known to poison animals.

BEE AND WASP STINGS: These can be especially problematic if they sting inside the mouth.

COCOA MULCH: Made of cocoa bean shell – a by-product of the chocolate industry – and like chocolate can be harmful if eaten by dogs.

FERTILISER, INSECTICIDES AND PESTICIDES: If consumed, fertiliser can give your cat or dog a stomach upset and may result in life-threatening gastrointestinal obstruction. Read instructions carefully and make sure you allow an appropriate time from use before allowing your animal in the garden.

GARDEN TOOLS: Unattended garden tools may seem like no big deal, but rakes, tillers, hoes and trowels can be hazardous to pets and cause trauma to paws, noses or other parts of a curious pet’s body.

Contact your vet immediately if you think your pet has eaten any toxic plants, flowers, or in fact any toxic items or substances. Take along samples of the plant to the vet - or preferably any identification label, tag or pot information you may still have for the plant that has been eaten.

General symptoms of poisoning include:

·       Oral or skin irritation     

·       Upset stomach / Vomiting / Diarrhoea

·       Weakness

·       Rapid breathing

·       Fever

·       Drooling

·       Coma

·       Heart failure

·       Excitability or lethargy

·       Tremors / Seizures / Fitting

·       Increased Thirst

·       Dilated Pupils

·       Dizziness / Loss of Balance