Homeowners prize hydrangea bushes for their lush foliage and their large globe-like flowers. While they may be pleasing to the eye, the buds and leaves are not pleasant to the stomach of a dog.
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Varieties
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Alternate names for the hydrangea, or hydrangea arborescens, are hortensia, seven bark and hills of snow. Members of the hydrangea family can appear as flowering trees or bushes.
Toxic Portion
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The hydrangea contains cyanogenic glycosides. When leaves and buds are mashed through chewing, enzymes combine with the cyanogenic glycosides and cyanide is produced.
Symptoms
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Ingestion causes digestive irritation and inflammation. Poisoned dogs exhibit diarrhea and bloody stools. Look for depression as an additional sign.
Prevention
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Voluminous hydrangea blooms are attractive in a floral arrangement. When cutting buds and bringing them indoors, keep them out of your dog's reach. Do not plant them in the areas in which a dog plays and relieves itself to prevent temptation.
Treatment
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Promptly contact a veterinarian, emergency clinic or an animal poison help hotline for instruction. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed, as the practice may be ineffective if ingestion occurred more than two hours earlier, if the dog has lost consciousness or if it has already vomited.
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