Part 1 Poisonous plants Having a pet especially puppies and kittens can be almost as much hard work as having children. Thankfully they reach adult hood a lot quicker, but even then it can greatly depend on their breed, personality and temperament as to whether they calm down and are less curious and destructive, some pets can still keep you very busy well in to their senior years. It is well known that you should feed your pet a healthy diet, give them plenty of exercise, and provide them with a safe and secure place to live. But how safe are our homes for our loved ones? Many plants for example can be deadly to pets. It is important to find out which ones and either give the plants away or place any dangerous plants in an area of the garden/house not accessible to your pets. One plant that has had a lot of press recently in Britain is the lily. The R.S.P.C.A. states that "as little as one leaf can kill a cat if ingested", although the pollen and flowers are also toxic. If it has not been noticed that part of a lily plant has been eaten by a cat or veterinary help is not sort in time, the health of the cat will deteriorate within a matter of hours to the point of kidney failure followed by death. The death of any loved one is a terrible loss, but even more so when with a bit of research it could have been avoided. Hopefully the plants I have detailed below as poisonous to animals will be of great help, please remember though that there may be many more, so it is best that each plant you have and introduce in to your home and garden be researched thoroughly. Even the most caring, cautious, and well prepared owner can miss a potential hazard to their beloved pet. As with children I would advice pet owners to always be pre paired for any event that may occur. It can be very stressful when a loved one is taken ill. To then have practical and financial worries restricting what you are able to do for them is a nightmare. The number one advice I would give any pet owner is to purchase pet insurance, as most pet owners are unaware of the costs occurred when kitty eats their prize plant and ends up needing life saving treatment. We are not all lucky enough to have savings to dip into when emergencies like this happen, this is where pet insurance helps. Depending on whom you decided to purchase pet insurance from and which policy you decide is best for your pet's needs, pet insurance is there to cover long term illnesses and emergencies that may occur throughout your pet's life. Do research your pet insurance company thoroughly as you want to make sure you're happy and satisfied with your pets cover. You will find pet insurance companies can vary greatly regarding what they do and do not cover, always read the clauses/small print. If you don't own a car or your partner/friend is using it a great deal of the time I would also advise having a list of friends who own cars that you can call on any time night or day in cases of emergencies. If this isn't possible a list of taxi company's who are happy to transport pets would be advisable as some may refuse to. All vets in the UK have to provide an emergency out of hour's service. But not all provide the cover at the practice your pet is registered at. It would then save valuable time if pet owners were to ask who their vets contracted their out of hours emergency cover to. I have known some vets to divert pet owners to emergency services 45 minutes away from their veterinary practice. This added problem you will need to be pre pared for, although a better option if possible would be to re-register with a vets who's out of hours emergency cover is local. Poisonous Plants Aloe Vera, Amaryllis, Anemones, Berries (some) Bulbiferous plants (bluebells, Crocus etc), Bindweed-Convolvulus, Boston ivy, Bracken, Bryony, Buttercups, Caladium, Celandine, Charlock, Cyclamen, Deadly Nightshade-Belladonna, Dieffenbachia (dumb cane or leopard lily) Dock leaves, Dumbcane, English Ivy, Figwort, Fool's Parsley, Foxglove, German Ivy, Ground Elder, Hellebore, Hemerocallis (daylily), Hemlock, Henbane, Horsetails, Indian Rubber plant, Iris, Laburnum, Lily of the Valley, Lord & Ladies - Arum, Lupin, Mistletoe, Monkshood, Mouldy hay/straw, Old Man's Beard (Toadflax), Oak leaves, Philodendron, Poinsettia, Poppies, Potato stalks, Potted Chrysanthemum, Privet, Ragwort, Scarlet Pimpernel, Toadstools, Travellers Joy, Weeping Fig, Wild celery, Yew. It is very stressful dealing with the shock and upset of an ill pet, but having to find the funds for a potentially large vet bill can add even more stress to the situation, especially when finances are already tight. That is why many pet owners are purchasing pet insurance, as it is a well needed safety net. Though pet insurance companies vary greatly, so it is very important you choose the right pet insurance company that covers your requirements. Pet insurance review sites for example are a great place to start as they are not just informing you of one pet insurance company, they contain and compare many, you also benefit from the experiences of others as many people would have written about their experiences with Pet insurance companies.
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