A claim recently rolled in for a dog who was poisoned by the Sago Palm (The claim was paid, by the way). This inspired a reminder to all pet owners that the Sago Palm and many other common plants are extremely toxic to pets when ingested.

The Sago Palm is particularly toxic to pets causing vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and leads to liver failure. An estimated 75% of animals die from ingestion of any part of the plant despite medical treatment.

Other poisonous plants include (but are not limited to*):

• Amaryllis: Causes vomiting, depression, drooling, and tremors
• Azalea: Causes abdominal pain and irritation, vomiting, and severe cases lead to coma and death
• Castor Bean: Highly toxic, causing drooling, thirst, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions and coma
• Chrysanthemum: Causes drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, can lead to loss of coordination
• English Ivy: Highly toxic, causing vomiting, diarrhea, trouble breathing, and can lead to coma and death
• Lilies: Highly toxic to cats, can cause kidney damage
• Oleander: Highly toxic, causing stomach irritation, cardiac problems, and can lead to death
• Rhubarb: Moderately toxic, causing breathing difficulties, weakness, diarrhea, and can lead to death
• Tulip bulbs: Causes stomach irritation, drooling, anorexia, and convulsions
• Yew: Highly toxic, causing breathing and cardiac problems, weakness, stomach irritation and can cause sudden death

Be sure to take all the correct safety precautions in your garden, especially if your pet is a chewer! Though Trupanion can help you pay for the $1073.22 vet bill for Sago Palm toxicity, it’s best to prevent these illnesses in the first place and keep your pet’s life out of harm’s way.

*Read the complete list of toxic plants.