🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants 🐾 Dieffenbachia

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(A little series combining my love of plants and pets 🌿🐶)

Today’s tiny check: Dieffenbachia (also known as Dumb Cane).

Those big, beautifully patterned leaves?

Gorgeous.

Snack? Not so much 😅

Dieffenbachia contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause irritation and discomfort if the plant is chewed.

For some dogs, this may mean:

🐾 Drooling

🐾 Lip smacking

🐾 Pawing at the mouth

🐾 Mouth or tongue discomfort

🐾 Vomiting

🐾 Difficulty swallowing

Before anyone panics — many dogs live happily alongside houseplants and never show any interest in eating them.

But curious puppies, adolescent dogs, enrichment seekers, stressed dogs, or dogs who explore the world with their mouths may decide to investigate.

🐾 One small thing to do today:

✔ Have a quick look at where your Dieffenbachia lives

✔ Is it leaf-height for a curious explorer?

✔ If you have a plant-muncher, could it be moved somewhere less accessible?

✔ Make sure your dog has access to appropriate enrichment and safe chewing opportunities too

If you think your dog has chewed or eaten Dieffenbachia, contact your vet for advice, particularly if they are showing signs of significant mouth swelling or difficulty swallowing.

No guilt if this is news to you — most people are never taught which of our everyday houseplants might cause problems for our pets.

Knowledge isn’t about fear.

It’s about making informed choices for the individuals who share our homes 🩵

One tiny check. One safer environment.

🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants is a bite-sized series exploring common plants that may be worth a second look when sharing your home or garden with pets.

Got a plant you’d like me to cover next? Pop it in the comments 👇