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How Poisonous are Poinsettias?
This time of year poinsettias are everywhere. General conventional wisdom holds that they are highly toxic to pets. And a common (but certainly not universal) tenet of botany is that red leaves signal toxins.
So if a friend gives you a poinsettia, do you need to get rid of it immediately in order to protect your pet?
In this case, as in many cases, conventional wisdom is off the mark. Poinsettias are mildly toxic (they can cause GI distress), and pets certainly shouldn't be allowed to consume loads of the plants. But, unlike stargazer lilies (which I have seen all over the grocery stores lately) they aren't deadly toxic.
Dr. Eric Barchas | Dec 17th 2010 |
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