Plumerias are beautiful plants, and I love having them in my yard. However, my dog also loves to eat everything and anything that he can find. And since my dog loves to eat everything. I was concerned that he might start eating the leaves and the flowers from the plumeria. No sooner than the time I thought about it did he decide he would eat the leaves, flowers, and even some of the bark from the plumeria.
I dug deep and researched online; I called the vet, and from what I could find out. Yes, plumerias are technically toxic for dogs. Dogs may have vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, drooling and skin rashes, and lethargy.
What if my dog has no symptoms?
If your dog is showing no ill effects after eating plumeria leaves, flowers, or branches, then you don’t need to worry about your puppy. Chances are if your dog is showing no symptoms, he probably didn’t eat enough of the sap, which is what is toxic, to make him/her sick. If you’re still concerned about him/her, though, you can just monitor him and make sure that s/he is eating fine and s/he is not vomiting or having diarrhea.
However, the effects of the toxins in the plumeria plants are fairly short-lived, so issues should arise fairly quickly if your dog is going to show symptoms. This isn’t something you will have to worry about after a day.
What to do if my dog DOES have symptoms
I would contact your vet immediately if your dog has symptoms. This way you can avoid any complications and it will allow you peace of mind! Your vet will know exactly what to do. Or, if you have a vet you can take your puppy to get seen immediately. That may be a better choice than calling. As they may advise you to bring in your dog. This would allow your dog to been a bit more quick than making a call first.
How to keep your dog from eating plants?
- Plant your plumeria in a pot with a moveable base.
- When my dog is outside, I can wheel my plumeria to a safe location for my dog and for the plant. This also allowed me to move the plant around if the weather call on me to do so.
- Train your dog.
- This could be something as simple as shouting” “no” and when your dog properly responds, giving him praise and some type of reward.
- Fence off your plumeria.
- This is an option. Although fencing your plumeria off may not give the desired look that you want in your back of front yard.
Are plumerias dangerous?
Despite the plumeria plant being poisonous, I would not consider them too dangerous. Even with the symptoms, I wouldn’t fear your dog getting too sick or dying. Ultimately, if you pay attentions to the symptoms, your dog should recover just fine. He may experience some discomfort. But you can help him get better quicker and feel better! I think the biggest thing to watch out for would be dehydration from vomiting.
Final Remarks
Yes. plumeria flowers, branches and leaves can be mildly toxic to dogs. If your dog shows any symptoms, I would contact your vet immediately to avoid any complications. However, even if symptoms arise, your dog should be fine after a relatively short time.