Are Mums Harmful to Dogs?

Gardeners grow chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum spp.), which are commonly referred to as mums or garden mums, both indoors as houseplants and outdoors. These colorful herbaceous perennials grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10a, depending on the species and cultivar. Unfortunately, these plants aren't considered dog-friendly and are poisonous to your pooch if ingested or touched.

  1. Mums

    • Mums come in a variety of colors, including various shades of red, white, bronze, purple, pink yellow and ivory. Some types of blooms are daisylike, while others resemble pompoms or buttons. You can cultivate mums as either annuals or perennials, depending on their growing conditions. Mums grow best in full sun and moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil that's regularly fertilized, which encourages them to bloom. From spring to midsummer, pinch back the stems to encourage the plants to branch off laterally and bloom more vigorously in late summer to the beginning of winter. You can purchase pots of mums already in bloom to grow indoors among your houseplants or to add an instant splash of color to your garden.

    Toxicity

    • Mums are considered toxic to both dogs and cats, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The plants contain various types of poisons, including the chemicals sesquiterpene, lactones and pyrethrins; all parts of the plant may contain other irritants as well. The University of California, Davis, classifies mums as not only toxic if eaten but states that they can also cause dermatitis when touched. Dogs that eat mums may experience vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling and incoordination. If your pup experiences a rash from running through or sniffing at your mums, try to wash off the areas affected with a mild soap to remove any plant sap.

    Treatment

    • If your dog has been snacking on your mums either indoors or outdoors, bring it to the vet for treatment. Bring a snippet of the plant with you for proper identification by the vet. Your vet can provide supportive care, including intravenous fluids and medications to help soothe its upset stomach. He may even induce vomiting in some cases to get the poisonous plant matter out of your pup's system. For pups dealing with mum-induced dermatitis, prescription creams and shampoos can help relieve any itching and pain the offensive plants have caused. Mum poisoning is generally mild, and most pups recover with no residual effects from ingesting the plants.

    Considerations

    • While mums are a colorful addition to your garden, keep your pup away from them by placing them in a fenced-in area that Fido can't access or on shelves indoors that it can't reach. Supervise Fido outdoors to keep the pooch away from your mums or those of your neighbors. If you like the general appearance of mums, consider planting similar-looking Gerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) instead. These perennials are in the same family (Asteraceae, also known as Compositae) as mums, growing in USDA zones 8 through 10. Unlike mums, though, they are considered nontoxic to dogs if ingested, according to the ASPCA.