One dog owner has warned others of having Christmas potpourri in their households this festive season after his pup sadly passed away.
In a Facebook post, which has since gone viral, the heartbroken owners explained their Yorkshire terrier, Alfie, munched on the fragrant dried flowers, herbs and spices, while their backs were turned Daily Record reports.
The tiny Yorkshire terrier passed away around 24 hours later leaving his owners devastated.
The post, which has been shared over 1,000 times, read: "Thank you all for the kind messages and texts in regards to us losing Alfie
"A few have been asking what’s happening so I feel I need to say in the hope it doesn’t happen to any of your loved ones
"Last Wednesday I was at Edinburgh Christmas Market and bought some Christmas Pourri to give our house that lovely smell
"These have been sitting in the house next to log burner since Wednesday evening and never been touched or looked at by Alfie.
"On Monday evening around 7:30pm I discovered that they were all tipped out onto the floor when I went to light the log burner. (I’ll add the living room door is always closed until someone is in the house which in this case was about 5 mins from setting up the log burner)
"Alfie had chewed the Lemons Limes Oranges and Apples. Never thinking anything I put them back.
"At 7am the following morning Alfie was sick followed by more sick later on that morning so Alfie was taken to the vets
"He was given the upmost brilliant care and was given a injection to stop the sickness and pills to help his stomach also
"Alfie was defo not himself the rest of day lounging about and sleeping. Kev was off all day and kept a close eye on him
"I got home from work around 8pm and sadly by our side Alfie passed away."
The owners then warned others to keep them out of any pets reach as they said it was the oil and sprays which give your home the 'Christmas' smell that sadly resulted in Alfie's death.
Other Christmas plants that are toxic to pets, revealed by pet insurance experts at money.co.uk include:
- Holly - If the berries or spiked-edge leaves from a holly plant are ingested, this can result in irritation of the mouth, drooling, gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, and diarrhoea. It may also cause excessive head-shaking if consumed in large quantities.
- Mistletoe - Though varied in types, the berries from mistletoe contain chemicals including polysaccharides, alkaloids, and lectins which are harmful to both dogs and cats. When ingested in small quantities, it can cause vomiting and abdominal pain. Consumed in large quantities, it may cause abnormal heart rate, low blood pressure and incoordination.
- Christmas trees - If the pine needles from Christmas trees are chewed, the oils released may cause irritations in the mouth as well as stomach upset. Due to the prickly nature of the needle, these could also be hazardous to the mouth, throat and stomach if ingested.
- Ivy (Hedera species) - Ivy can cause severe skin irritation if pets come into direct contact with this plant. If ingested, ivy can also cause stomach upsets.
- Amaryllis - The whole amaryllis plant contains toxic substances, but higher quantities are contained in the bulb, so be careful of pets who like to dig. If consumed, they may experience severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, lethargy and tremors.
- Lilies - if any part of a lily is ingested, even in small quantities, this could cause severe gastrointestinal damage.
- Laurel - Laurel plants including bay laurels, which are often used in cooking, and cherry laurel, contain toxins located in all parts of the shrub which cause vomiting, abdominal pain, hypotension and in extreme cases, muscle weakness and even seizures.
- Snowdrops - These small white flowers contain toxins in their stems and leaves, with the highest concentration in the bulb. When ingested, they can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, incoordination as well as a drop in heart rate and blood pressure.
- Yew - All parts of this plant, including the leaves and berries, are highly poisonous as they contain taxines. When ingested they can cause vomiting, weakness, breathing difficulties and in critical cases, life threatening change in heart rate and blood pressure.
If your four-legged friend does consume a toxic house plant, it’s important to seek expert help and advice from your vet as soon as possible.
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