BajaNomad

A warning: Hard lesson learned

grace59 - 4-16-2016 at 12:13 PM

My husband and I learned a hard lesson about Oleander. It doesn't grow here where we live in WA and we didn't know of it's toxicity until our Labrador got into it. She survived the initial poisoning and then struggled to stay with us for 10 long days. She lost her struggle yesterday. We are heartbroken. I just wanted to pass this along encase you have one of those stick chewing, eat anything kind of dogs. RIP Bailey!

woody with a view - 4-16-2016 at 12:18 PM

:( Sorry about you pooch!

Bajazly - 4-16-2016 at 12:18 PM

So sorry for your loss. That is a tough one, doing something she loved with such a harsh consequence.:(

Udo - 4-16-2016 at 12:21 PM

:(

I found out about oleanders about 10 years ago.

I don't know how they can be so flavorful for cooking, yet so poisonous.

MMc - 4-16-2016 at 12:41 PM

DEP Bailey, I am sorry for your loss, losing a loved one is always so hard.

Bob and Susan - 4-16-2016 at 12:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Udo  
:(

I found out about oleanders about 10 years ago.

I don't know how they can be so flavorful for cooking, yet so poisonous.


i'm pretty sure you shouldn't eat or cook with oleanders...poison...pretty risky business

dtbushpilot - 4-16-2016 at 01:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan  
Quote: Originally posted by Udo  
:(

I found out about oleanders about 10 years ago.

I don't know how they can be so flavorful for cooking, yet so poisonous.


i'm pretty sure you shouldn't eat or cook with oleanders...poison...pretty risky business


How about starting a cooking thread and leaving this one alone.:yes:

So sorry for your loss grace59 :no:

BajaBlanca - 4-16-2016 at 01:49 PM

Really? I had no idea about oleanders....so so so sorry. RIP

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 4-16-2016 at 03:18 PM

ALSO, if you have them on your grounds, when you or anyone needs to cut them back, WEAR LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS AND GLOVES ! unless you have skin like iron, the juice can be an irritant, sometimes major.

back in the day, my father was a japanese gardener, not like today's cut and blow so-called gardeners.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

DianaT - 4-16-2016 at 04:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by grace59  
My husband and I learned a hard lesson about Oleander. It doesn't grow here where we live in WA and we didn't know of it's toxicity until our Labrador got into it. She survived the initial poisoning and then struggled to stay with us for 10 long days. She lost her struggle yesterday. We are heartbroken. I just wanted to pass this along encase you have one of those stick chewing, eat anything kind of dogs. RIP Bailey!


So very, very sorry about the loss of your fur baby. It is a tough one. DEP Bailey :no::no:

And thanks for the reminder about toxic plants. As you say, some dogs will eat anything.

Here is a list of some common plants that are toxic to dogs, and many house plants are also toxic.

Common plants toxic to dogs

My heart goes out to you ----

[Edited on 4-16-2016 by DianaT]

Whale-ista - 4-16-2016 at 05:17 PM

Hard lesson indeed- condolences for losing Bailey. Thanks for the reminders about toxicity and also skin reactions.

FYI: as a warning for pet people, Poinsettias are also toxic, as are difenbachhias- aka "dumb cane" - because they contain a substance that causes an allergic reaction and may close the airway if ingested.

Bottom line: be extra alert & careful when visiting new places with pets that like to graze.

AKgringo - 4-16-2016 at 05:42 PM

Thank you for the warning! There are three Oleanders on the property where I am staying in CA right now. So far, my year and a half old pooch (also called Bailey) has shown no interest in them, but she is prone to chewing on just about anything.

Before I head back to Anchorage next week, I have permission to take them out roots and all and burn them!

Sorry about you losing your best friend, I know the pain.

wessongroup - 4-16-2016 at 05:49 PM

Even the dust in removal can give problems ... same with burning

Sorry for your friend

SFandH - 4-16-2016 at 05:58 PM

Sorry grace59, what a bummer. It's tough, I know.

But, after some time passes and the wound is healed, maybe you'll feel like giving a home to dog that needs one. Perhaps an opportunity has opened.

DENNIS - 4-16-2016 at 06:23 PM


So sad. My prayers going your way, Grace.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 4-16-2016 at 07:00 PM

DO NOT...NOT...NOT BURN THEM !!!!

STILL VERY TOXIC !!!

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

pappy - 4-17-2016 at 11:50 AM

found out about oleanders in a similar fashion years ago-lost my horse 'cause she ate some....

sorry for your loss....

monoloco - 4-17-2016 at 03:37 PM

Sorry about your dog. Another one to be aware of is the cycad that they call "cardboard palm" it has a bright red fruit that has sickened and killed many dogs.

Glidergeek - 4-17-2016 at 11:36 PM

Sorry about your loss, I know they're toxic and poisonous we take it for granted. This is a real wake-up call I've got a yellow lab that's 10 1/2 years old that will fetch anything fortunately there are no oleanders around my area but I will keep this in mind.

bajalearner - 4-18-2016 at 07:52 AM

That's sad, I think labs are the best dogs in the world!

Many years ago, a friend bought a dump truck load of carrots to feed a couple cows. He figured out after one cow died that the load contained a small amount of oleander pieces. It would seem to me that it would take allot to put down a big cow so me thinks that stuff is very potent.

AKgringo - 4-18-2016 at 08:57 AM

The oleanders that I mentioned earlier, are growing at the house I grew up in. My dad planted them thirty or forty years ago, and I (and others ) have been pruning, raking, handling, and even burning the debris many times over the years.

Despite the warnings given here, I do not know of anyone having a reaction to working with the ones at this house. I don't doubt what I have read here about the potential hazard, so they are coming out!

When I burn them, it is not going to be a small smokey fire in the yard. They are going to be tossed on top of a bulldozer sized pile of brush and dead tree tops that I have to get burned before fire season starts.

kimberleygd - 4-20-2016 at 04:03 PM

Thank you for posting this. I now have an idea why my buddy passed away. He was fine one moment and gone in a short time.
I didn't know it but that's what we have in our garden and the teacher downstairs had recently trimmed the bush and threw it in the compost. The dog never really bothered the compost but the night before he grabbed something and started chewing as we went by. It was late at night so I couldn't see, but the next morning he was in distress and passed at the vets.

Now that I'm looking for another pooch it's time to pull that baby up and take it to the trash.

wessongroup - 4-20-2016 at 06:51 PM

In most case's the plant can be "handled" with little problems, but, one should use some degree of caution along with protecting others who may need additional help in avoiding the plant from ingestion ...

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/oleander.asp

I've worked around them also ... tearing them out and burning ... I used a cloth mask not a respirator for inhalation ... long sleeves and gloves also .... and stayed upwind

My wife can't even touch them ... she has a very allergic reaction to the plant ... which can be expected from some individuals ... every toxin effects an individual on an individual basis ... some react differently

Some can tolerate more than others ... which applies to most animals

A good plant for certain uses ... however, there are some hazards associated with this plant ... which should be consider when: planted, maintained or removed

CalTrans works around them all the time ... with little overall negative impact from an employee safety standpoint

woody with a view - 4-20-2016 at 07:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  


When I burn them, it is not going to be a small smokey fire in the yard. They are going to be tossed on top of a bulldozer sized pile of brush and dead tree tops that I have to get burned before fire season starts.
[/[rquote]

"What could go wrong? It's not fire season yet!"

AKgringo - 4-20-2016 at 07:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  


When I burn them, it is not going to be a small smokey fire in the yard. They are going to be tossed on top of a bulldozer sized pile of brush and dead tree tops that I have to get burned before fire season starts.
[/[rquote]

"What could go wrong? It's not fire season yet!"


I should have said; Before my burn permit is suspended due to high fire hazard.

woody with a view - 4-20-2016 at 07:52 PM

:lol::lol: