What You Should Know If Your Dog Has Eaten Hostas
When it comes to taking care of a dog, one of the most important steps that a person can take is knowing what plants and other items are poisonous to dogs. Additionally, it is important to know what to do if a dog ingests any of these items. One of these poisonous plants is the hosta. The problem is that hostas are extremely common in landscaping design. As such, there is a significant chance that your dog will be exposed to hostas at some point in their life. Get to know some of the important facts to be aware of if your dog has eaten hostas. Then, you can be sure that you take action to protect your dog's health and well-being.
Hostas Contain Saponins
The poisonous aspect of hostas is a group of chemicals known as saponins. When mixed with an aqueous solution (a liquid solution), saponins create a foam. This foam is similar to the suds created by soap. The problem is, of course, the fact that your dog's mouth and body are full of aqueous solutions. As such, the foam begins to form shortly after your dog initially ingests even a small piece of hosta.
The Foam Causes Digestive Tract Paralysis
This foam does not just clog up the digestive tract a little and then dissipate. The saponin foam instead works to completely paralyze the digestive tract. This means anything in the stomach or intestines will be trapped there. The paralysis also causes further complications with the intestines.
The intestines will also end up getting twisted, which is an extremely life-threatening situation. Very few dogs survive intestinal twisting, even with swift surgical interventions. As such, eating hostas is a highly serious situation that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible to prevent this intestinal twisting.
Giving Your Dog Hydrogen Peroxide or Activated Charcoal Can Help
When your dog has ingested hostas, you need to get them to vomit as soon as possible. One of the ways to do that is to feed your dog hydrogen peroxide. You want to make sure you do this under the advice of a veterinarian, either your regular vet or a vet at a 24-hour animal hospital. They will be able to tell you the correct amount to administer to induce vomiting without causing other problems.
Activated charcoal is another option to help induce vomiting in your dog. You can purchase some to keep on hand at a local pet store.
Get Your Dog to the Veterinarian Even If You Induce Vomiting
Because getting into hosta plants is so dangerous for dogs, it is a good idea to seek out veterinary care for your dog even if you induce vomiting at home. The vet can do a full assessment of your dog including blood work and urinalysis among other tests and scans, wash them off to get rid of any residual sap from the hostas, and may even administer IV fluids and keep them under close observation for several hours or a few days. Getting the veterinarian immediately after you induce vomiting will help to ensure that your dog has the best chance at making a full recovery from eating hostas.
Now that you have an idea of what you should know if your dog has eaten hostas, you can be sure you are prepared to act quickly if this unfortunate scenario ever impacts your beloved dog.
