Garden dangers to avoid for your pet

The average pet owner spends approximately $25,000 over the course of their pet’s life, and that’s excluding emergency vet visits. Trips to the veterinary ER can be unexpectedly costly, yet so often avoidable. There are a few easy steps you can take to help protect your pet, your anxiety and your wallet from avoidable and expensive vet visits.

1. Ensure your pets cannot access chocolate, alcohol, avocado, grapes, onion, tomato, mushroom, most seeds and nuts, chewing gum (anything minty) and anything with xylitol (a sweetener).
2. Place all cleaning products and medicines in an inaccessible place (remember, cats can climb!)
3. Avoid planting the following toxic plants:
   1. Aloe Vera
   2. Azalea/rhododendron
   3. Bleeding heart
   4. Castor bean
   5. Daffodil
   6. Elderberry
   7. Golden chain
   8. Hyacinth
   9. Jasmine
   10. Lily of the valley
   11. Mistletoe
   12. Nightshade
   13. Rhubarb
   14. Star of Bethlehem
   15. Wisteria
   16. Yew

Please be aware that the above is not an exhaustive list, so speak with a vet if you require more information. Though as long as you aren’t giving your pets human food, they should be safe.

The most difficult environmental danger to monitor is the safety of your garden and the plants you are either planting or maintaining. Many people are unaware of what’s in their garden and how it can affect their pets until it’s too late, and their pet has ingested something that destroys their liver.