From Table to Tree: Toxic Tidbits to Avoid this Holiday Season

As you know, the seasons are changing and the holidays are approaching fast. During this time we clean and decorate the house, spend hours in the kitchen cooking special meals, and let’s not forget spending as much time with our loved ones including our pets!

But in a blink of an eye, accidents happen. Your pet can get a hold of food or plants that they shouldn’t and that can lead you down a road of a very pricey vet bill, or even worse, the loss of your best friend.

In order to avoid this from happening, you should take precautions this holiday season. Knowledge is power right?

Here is a list of poisonous household plants, yard plants, and common foods to avoid giving your pets and will help you have a safer and happier holiday! Remember this list contains many, but not all of the toxic plants/foods, so check the links at the bottom of the article for more information.

PLANT	TOXIC PARTS	PLANT TYPE
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Alcohol
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Aloe Vera	entire plant	Shrub
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American Holly	Whole plant	Tree/shrub
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American Yew	Whole plant	Tree
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Apple	Seeds	cultivated tree
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Apricot	pit	Cultivated tree
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Avocado	entire plant	Fruit
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Azaleas	entire plant	cultivated & wild shrub
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Bird-of-Paradise	Pods	garden flower
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Buckeye	sprouts, nuts, seeds	Tree
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Buttercup	entire plant esp. leaves	wildflower, garden herb
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Caffeine
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Castor bean	entire plant esp. bean	house plant
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Chocolate	Whole plant (including the mulch derived from it) and chocolate food products	Tree
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Coffee	Beans, grounds and drinks made from them	Garden Shrub
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Daffodil	Bulbs	garden flower
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Daphne	bark, berries, leaves	ornamental shrub
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Day lily	entire plant is toxic to cats	garden & wildflower
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Dough	(raw/uncooked)
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Elderberry	leaves, bark, roots, buds	Tree
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Elephant’s ear	entire plant	house plant
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English Ivy	entire plant esp. leaves, berries	ornamental vine
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Foxglove	Leaves	wild & garden flower
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Garlic	entire plant	garden plant
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Hops	Entire plant	Garden plant
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Jimsonweed	entire plant esp. seeds	field plant
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Macadamia Nuts	Nut	Tree
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Manchineel Tree	sap, fruit	Tree
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Milk vetch	entire plant	Wildflower
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Mistletoe	Berries	house plant
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Mushroom	entire plant	Fungi
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Mustards	Seeds	Wildflower
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Nicotiana (tobacco)	Leaves	garden flower
———————–	——————————————————————-	——————————-
Oleander	Leaves	ornamental shrub
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Onion	Entire plant	Garden plant
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Peach	Pit	Tree
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Persimmon	Seeds	Tree
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Plum	Pit	Tree
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Poinsettia	leaves, stem, flowers	house plant
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Poison hemlock	leaves, stem, fruit	field plant
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Potato	shoots, sprouts	garden plant
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Raisins (grapes)	Currants (whole fruit)	Fruit
———————–	——————————————————————-	——————————-
Rhubarb	Leaves	garden plant
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Sago palm	entire plant esp seeds	ornamental plant
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Skunk cabbage	entire plant esp roots, leaves	marsh plant
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Tea	Leaves (possibly plant as well) and anything made from it (tea drink) Even Decaf tea can cause problems.	Garden plant
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Tomatoes	Plant and fruit (less toxic as it ripens)	Garden plant
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Xylitol (Gum)	A sweetener used in may candies, pastries, toothpastes and mouthwashes. Check ingredients to ensure there is no Xylitol!
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Wild black cherry	leaves, pits	Tree
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Wild radish	Seeds	Wildflower
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Wisteria	pods, seeds	ornamental plant
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Yellow oleander	entire plant esp. leaves	garden plant
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Yellow pine flax	entire plant esp. seedpods	Wildflower
———————–	——————————————————————-	——————————-
Walnuts	The hull of the nut (technically the mold that grows on it)	Tree
———————–	——————————————————————-	——————————-

Often people will say “My dog ate ______ lots of times and didn’t die, so ______ doesn’t kill dogs.” But that logic is no better than “My dog runs in the street all the time and has never been hit by a car, so dogs never get hit by cars.”

Just because they survived the last time they ate something does not mean it will be the same every time, so the best plan is to avoid letting your pet have these things in any form.

Also beware that less reputable treat companies still use garlic and onion in treats. While it normally takes a significant amount to harm your pet, it is best to avoid such “treats” and instead go for a safer option.

We hope your holidays will be safe and full of love & memories!
Special thanks to Sally Jefferson for this amazing article and resource!