I wrote this article some time ago for the Centre for Vet Education Sydney Uni as I was getting seriously cranky with the number of second opinion canine cases I saw that had been mislabelled as “Boredom” hole diggers. The holes dug by these dogs are not the shallow crater holes true for boredom digging– these […]
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Pretty Poison in the Yard Series-update on “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, Brunfelsia
Pretty Poisons in the yard: Brunfelsia (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, YTT); Timely Reminder 2017. OPAL Score=2 After a lull of some years, we suddenly have cases of Yesterday Today & Tomorrow poisoning again. It’s as though owners have forgotten how deadly this plant is to our pets so we thought it best to do a […]
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Armed and Dangerous in the Palm on your Land-Pretty Poisons Series
True Palms can cause illness and injury in pets. (cf “Sago-Palm: Fake but poisonous Palm post) Our most recent encounter with Palms and Pets was a tiny cat presented last month with a history of sudden onset aggression over the weekend. There was a small scab behind the cat’s front leg on its rib cage. […]
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Pretty Poisons in the Yard Series: “Sago-Palm (Cycad)-A Deadly Beauty”
OPAL Score=6 (Male) Sago-Palm is a cycad, not a palm, but regardless of what its correct classification is, this plant is so DEADLY to pets and children, that in my view, its planting should not be promoted or encouraged by anyone regardless of how pretty it is. Read below for more information. Cycads are not […]
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Introduction to ‘Pretty Poisons In The Yard’ Series.
As the world reacts to global warming concepts by changing how and what is planted and cultivated, there exists the risk of creating new niches for new diseases or the reoccurrence of old forgotten toxins. The growing horticultural and human health trend world-wide, is to classify, and hence to recommend, plants according to their aero-allergen […]
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Pretty Poisons In The Yard Series: Inch Plant.
OPAL Score:4 Commelinaceae are shrubs that grow out as a rapidly dense spreading blanket of leaves. The leaves and stems of these plants snap readily, exuding a mucilaginous sap that can attach to the skin to give prolonged exposure to its components, thereby increasing the chance of sensitization. Confirmed contact allergy has been reported in […]
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Pretty Poisons In The Yard Series: Azalea
OPAL Score:3 The increased popularity of azalea plantings is due to the plant’s drought tolerance and also its promotion by asthma organisations as part of their low allergen garden plantings. Thus like the Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant (YTT), the incidence of poisoning is likely to rise as we move towards modifying the environment to […]
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Pretty Poisons in the Yard Series: Plumbago, Skyflower.
OPAL Score:3 Plumbago flowers range from light blue to blue, but can also be found in white (P. auriculata var. alba) or deep blue (P. auriculata var. ‘Royal Cape’) flowers. The leaves are a glossy green and grow to 5 cm long. This family of shrubs has an Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) score of 4 […]
Read MorePretty Poisons in the Yard Series: Lillies.
Lily Intoxication in Cats Faculty of Veterinary Science and the PostGraduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Joanna White and Richard Malik By Jody Braddock, Lilies are becoming especially popular as a gift in the Sydney area, and the flowers that are sold are exceedingly toxic to cats. The key to […]
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Pretty Poisons in the Yard Series: Duranta.
OPAL Score:3 Duranta Erecta. Poisoning in dogs and cat produced drowsiness, hyperesthesia, and tetanic seizures in all affected animals with evidence of alimentary tract irritation (vomiting, gastric and intestinal haemorrhage, diarrhoea, melaena) in five dogs and the cat. Duranta can cause skin irritation as well. Duranta erecta [Yeerongpilly 24 Jan 2005] Flowering twig B & […]
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Pretty Poisons in the Yard Series:”Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”(Y.T.T.),Brunfelsia
OPAL Score:2 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Toxicity (YTT)/ Brunfelsia With the popularity of lifestyle shows featuring garden make-overs, we have begun to see a new type of poisoning case in 2005. The symptoms of this plant can mimic anything from snail bait to strychnine poisoning. Whereas fewer and fewer cases of snail bait and […]
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