Protecting your pets from toxic plants

More than 700 plants have been identified as potentially dangerous to animals, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

If ingested, some plants, including popular ones like lantana (pictured in the chicken at left) and oleander, produce a toxic substance that can cause anything from a mild case of nausea to muscle tremors to death.

Here are a few popular plants to watch out for, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center:

Lilies - Members of the Lilium spp. are considered to be highly toxic to cats. While the poisonous component has not yet been identified, it is clear that with even ingestions of very small amounts of the plant, severe kidney damage could result.

Marijuana - Ingestion of Cannabis sativa by companion animals can result in depression of the central nervous system and incoordination, as well as vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, increased heart rate, and even seizures and coma.

Sago Palm - All parts of Cycas Revoluta are poisonous, but the seeds or “nuts” contain the largest amount of toxin. The ingestion of just one or two seeds can result in very serious effects, which include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, seizures and liver failure.

Tulip/Narcissus bulbs - The bulb portions of Tulipa/Narcissus spp. contain toxins that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation, drooling, loss of appetite, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and cardiac abnormalities.

Oleander (pictured at right) - All parts of Nerium oleander are considered to be toxic, as they contain cardiac glycosides that have the potential to cause serious effects including gastrointestinal tract irritation, abnormal heart function, hypothermia and even death.

--Francisco Vara-Orta

Photos: Oleander, from Los Angeles Times archives

Lantana, from Ryland, Peters & Small