Are Hostas Plants Bad for Dogs? Toxic & Poisonous?
In case you were not aware about the Hostas flower, they are going to be a pretty common type of flower that has over forty different species. Due to the fact that Hosta plants and their flowers are going to be very ubiquitous, your dog is potentially going to have the opportunity to come into contact with them in any park, garden, or even on a simple walk around the neighborhood. With that being said, are you going to need to be worried about the fact that your dog has just come into contact with a flower that is considered to be so poisonous? Here is everything that you need to know about your dog and the Hosta flower, bulbs, and leaves.
Are Hosta Plants Poisonous to Dogs?
To answer this question in a single word, that word would be yes, Hosta plants are going to be extremely toxic to your dog if they are allowed to eat them. In fact, the entire Hosta plant. (which is going to include the Hosta leaves, flowers, bulbs, and stems), have the potential to make your dog extremely sick and even be fatal if they eat enough in comparison to their size. At the very least, if your dog is allowed to eat any part of the Hosta plant, you can expect them to experience some serious diarrhea and vomiting.
Regardless of the fact that Hosta flowers are going to be one of the more popular types of flowers that people enjoy having in their garden, it does not mean that they are going to be safe for your dog. Normally found in the shadier areas of your yard or garden, the Hosta plant is going to have a fluorescent green color with many good qualities. However, a snack for you dog is not going to be one of those qualities.
With that being said, you may be wondering exactly what it is that makes the Hosta plant so dangerous for your dog? Here is everything that you will need to know about the Hosta plant and why you should never let your dog eat them.
Why is the Hosta Plant Toxic to my Dog?
Being part of the Agavaceae family, the Hosta plant is considered to be a perennial plant that was originally native to China, Japan, and Korea. However, in the past several years, the Hosta plant has started to become more and more popular in the United States and the UK. While this is great for the Hosta plant, as far as every dog owner is concerned, this is the worst-case scenario as they are now going to need to pay attention to the different types of plants that their dog is getting into.
While at first look, the Hosta plant is going to be very attractive and be a very popular choice when it comes to landscaping. This is because the leaves of the Hosta plant are going to be striped and ribbed, having some long stalks emerge from the leaves, having flowers bloom on top of those stalks. So yes, the Hosta plant is going to be a very unique and beautiful plant to have in your yard.
When the Hosta plant does have its flowers bloom, they are going to do so in purple, blue, or white, which is only going to make them even more visually pleasing to the eye and every gardener on the planet. However, while they are going to be very pretty to look at, they are also going to be nothing but trouble as far as your dog is concerned.
But even though the Hosta plant is one of the most appealing plants in the entire yard as far as you are concerned, for your dog, the Hosta plant is going to be extremely toxic. Now you would think that simply preventing your dog from eating the flowers of the Hosta plant would be enough to protect them, but you would be wrong at the very same time. That is because the Hosta plant is actually going to be nothing but toxic to your dog. This means that if your dog ever eats the stalks, flowers, leaves, bulbs or roots, they are in for a bad day.
So, if you ever find Hosta plants growing in your backyard or for some type of decorative purpose, be sure that you remove them so that your dog does not have the opportunity to eat them and feel the wrath that is known as the Hosta plant.
If Your Dog Eats Hosta, Will They be OK?
If your dog does somehow consume the Hosta plant, it is going to be able to cause them with some mild symptoms, but at the very same time will be able to kill them as well. It is all going to depend on a couple of different things, those being how much of the Hosta plant your dog ate and how big or small your dog is. If you have a bigger dog, it is going to take much more of the Hosta plant to cause the same amount of damage as a smaller dog that didn’t eat as much of the same plant. With that being said, the thing in the Hosta plant that makes it so dangerous for your dog to eat is going to be a substance that is known as saponin.
Often used in making soaps and soap-like products, saponin is going to be derived from the word for ‘soap’ in Latin and is going to foam up whenever it comes into contact with water. While there is not going to be enough saponin in Hosta plants to create any type of ‘foaming’ reaction, it is going to be this aspect of it that makes it so dangerous to your dog.
If your dog is allowed to consume any part of the Hosta plant, it is going to be very poisonous to them, as the saponin within the plant will end up filling their stomach with a whole bunch of foam, meaning that they will not be able to vomit and may even be temporarily paralyzed in their intestinal track.
When this happens, it means that your dog will not be able to vomit for a short period of time or be able to go to the bathroom. However, they will more than likely start to vomit and have diarrhea a little further down the road.
Can Hostas Kill Your Dog?
If you are to do any type of research online about the Hosta plant and how toxic it can be for your dog, you will find many different veterinarian websites that say the Host plant is only considered to be mildly toxic. What this means is that you can expect your dog to get sick, but not have to worry about actually dying. However, you should never take any medical condition for granted, and this is going to be one of them. This is especially true if you have a larger breed of dog. You see, the larger your dog is, the greater the risk that they are going to ingest some parr of the Hosta plant and have more saponin end up in their system. When this happens, there is always going to be the possibility that they end up having a twisting or loading of their intestines or stomach, which is going to be an extremely urgent medical condition that can leave your dog dead if not handled immediately.
So, while the Hosta plant may look as though it is a simple and harmless plant, they are still able to inflict some very serious damage to your dog, no matter how big they may be. This is going to be why it is very important for you to remain extra vigilant that you do not let your dog ingest any part of the Hosta plant, no matter what.
If your dog has eaten any part of the Hosta plant, make sure that you get them to your veterinarian as quickly as you possibly can. Knowing that when your dog eats any part of the Hosta plant can potentially lead to them dying, this is a situation that you are not going to want to risk your dog’s life. Even if they have only eaten a small amount or you didn’t even see them eat any of it at all, when it comes to the life and death of your dog, it is going to be best if you error on the side of caution.
With that being said, whenever you think that your dog has eaten any part of the very toxic Hosta plant, contact your local veterinarian and let them know that your dog has been in contact with the Hosta plant and you think that they may have eaten some. Your dog is a member of your family and quite possibly your best friend. This means that you must do whatever you can whenever you know that their health and well-being may be at risk.
