Tahitian Bridal Veil Poisoning in Dogs

Dogs are naturally curious and inquisitive. They will always sniff, smell and taste everything in their sight. Therefore, it is no surprise that dogs will chew on Tahitian Bridal Veil in your garden, in your house or in the neighbor’s garden. It can be dangerous for dogs to ingest this plant and if this occurs, there could be serious implications to your dog’s health.

Tahitian bridal veil is primarily a house plant because of the color it adds to the home. However, when you have pets or small children around the house, these plants can be a poisonous threat. If this plant is ingested, the toxic properties will be harmful, causing deterioration in health. If your dog has ingested this plant from your flower pot, you may notice unusual behavior. However, if you happened to see this occur, you should not wait to see the symptoms. Rather, you should seek treatment right away from your veterinarian. Once those symptoms have taken root, then treatment may be much more difficult.

Tahitian bridal veil is also commonly known as Gibasis geniculata and is from the Commelinaceae family of plants. Poisoning may occur when your dog eats and ingests the leaves of the plant.

Tahitian bridal veil poisoning comes with several symptoms, some more noticeable soon after ingestion than others. Nausea is the initial symptom that is most evident. However, other symptoms could include:

• Vomiting
• Pawing at the face and mouth
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive drinking of water
• Excessive urination 
• Choking and gagging

If you suspect that your beloved canine has been poisoned after ingesting this plant, you should act quickly. You should immediately remove all plant material from the area and make contact with your veterinarian, explaining exactly what happened. Of course, your veterinarian will ask you to come into the office for further observation, after instructing you on what to do at that moment.

Types 

There are mild and limited levels of poisoning to dogs that ingest Tahitian bridal veil. These include:

• Mild toxicity – not as threatening, but can still result in vomiting and skin rashes

Any ingested plant can cause damage to your pet in the form of gastrointestinal upset, vomiting or diarrhea.  However, Tahitian bridal veil is mildly toxic.

When your dog ingests this plant and suffers the effects of vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, you should not allow this to get out of hand. If your plant has been sprayed with pesticides, it could lead to moderate toxicity, making your dog very ill. If your dog has ingested the plant and it gets balled up in the stomach, it could also cause a blockage or obstruction to the intestines or airway.

Be sure to take some of the plant with you to the clinic. The veterinarian can use the plant for discovery purposes in order to give the right diagnosis. It is important if you already know the name of the plant or can identify it properly. This will help the veterinarian to make a determination of the toxicity of the plant.

The diagnostic process will include blood tests to evaluate the effects of the ingestion on your pet’s body. If a physical examination shows tenderness of the abdomen, your pet may have x-rays in order for the veterinary team to verify if the plant matter has formed into a mass capable of causing an obstruction.

The veterinarian may induce vomiting to get a sample of what is in your dog’s digestive tract and how extensive it is. The veterinarian may check to see how the mouth, skin or tongue is affected and if there is any obvious irritation.

Intravenous Fluids 

If your dog is experiencing intense nausea and extensive vomiting, he may be given fluids intravenously to combat the dehydration that often accompanies the vomiting and diarrhea. 

Observation

Your veterinarian will determine whether your pet should remain in the hospital for observation, based on the extent of the clinical symptoms.

Once your pet is stabilized, the veterinarian will allow you and your dog to go home. You will be expected to continue to monitor and manage the recovery process. You may have to administer a special soft diet, if the stomach was irritated from ingesting the poison. Hydrate your dog on a regular basis. Remove this toxic plant from the reach of your pet. If you can, for a few days, keep your pet resting indoors aside from toileting breaks.