Both the UK and the USA are nations of pet lovers. Over the pond where Yorkies originate from there are about 12.5 million companion dogs. And in the US, 38 percent of households have dogs. The AVMA reports that the total number of pet dogs in the US now is about 76.8 million.
Caring for dogs involves patience and love. It also requires making time to play with your dog, exercise them, and provide them with a suitable diet. The safety of a dog’s environment is also extremely important.
Dogs need a safe outdoor space where they are kept away from traffic and able to play and run without danger. Yet, it could be that your home presents some hidden dangers such as toxic indoor plants. It might be surprising, but some plants present a health risk to pets.
What Are The Best Indoor Plants When You Have A Dog?
Fortunately, it is easy to find pet-friendly and safe plants that can grace your home without causing any danger to your dog’s health. Unfortunately.
If your puppy is rather playful you might have to put these plants out of harm’s way to stop them from being knocked over. This brief article lists a number of the best dog-friendly indoor plants, and how to care for them.
Prayer Plant
The maranta leuconeura gets its name from its nighttime habit of raising and folding its leaves as if in prayer. The prayer plant originates from the tropics and is an evergreen perennial with gorgeous foliage.
Prayer plants originate in the rainforests of Brazil where they flower in late spring but indoor plants rarely bloom.
Caring For A Prayer Plant
Prayer plants like warmth and a little humidity but will generally be fine with an indoor ambiance. They need watering once every week or two, and they like indirect sunlight. Don’t put your prayer plant in direct strong sunlight.
Chinese Money Plant
The Chinese money tree or plant is said to bring prosperity and wealth to its owners, and luckily they are pet-friendly too. The leaves of a Chinese money plant resemble coins, hence the name.
Caring For A Chinese Money Plant
Use fast-draining potting soil, and allow this to almost dry out between waterings. Chinese money plants like the warmth and are perfectly suited to life indoors. Leave your money plant exposed to light but out of direct sunlight.
Ponytail Palm
These plants resemble small palm trees and grow well indoors. It is important that you don’t overwater them, and realize they can grow quite tall. Indoors, a ponytail palm may grow to about 4ft, but outside they can easily reach 10 ft or more.
Caring For A Ponytail Palm
Bright indirect sunlight is best for ponytail palms, and let the top couple of inches of soil dry out before watering again.
Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum or the spider plant is one of the easiest houseplants to grow and they are safe for dogs to be around. Spider plants look attractive and are said to improve air quality by absorbing toxins.
Caring For A Spider Plant
Like many indoor plants, spider plants do better when kept away from direct sunlight. And they only need watering when the top couple of inches of soil are dry. If your spider plant’s leaves start to fade in color then it needs a little more water.
African Violets
While violets are edible, this plant isn’t actually a real violet but they are non-toxic. There are many reasons why dogs eat grass, and curiosity is one of them. If your curious dog tries to taste your African violets then you needn’t worry as this plant is perfectly pet-friendly.
Caring For African Violets
African violets can add color to a home, and they are relatively easy to keep. Let your African violets have indirect sunlight but avoid letting them get too much as the leaves can burn.
Place your plant where it can get indirect light and rotate it every few days or so so that all sides receive light for growth. You only need to water African violets once a week, and only when the soil has dried out.
Fishbone Cactus
Although native to Mexico, the fishbone cactus will live very happily in a house and doesn’t need direct sunlight. These cacti do love humidity though so a bathroom or kitchen might suit them well.
These pet-friendly plants need little care and make interesting additions to a house garden, and if treated right, your fishbone cactus should flower at the end of summer.
Caring For Fishbone Cactus
You should use well-drained soil that is high in nutrients and organic matter for your fishbone cactus. Commercial cactus soil is available, and this can help provide a base for your plant to grow in.
Provide indirect sunlight, warmth, and ideally some humidity to see your cactus grow to its full potential. Only water the cactus once the top 2 or 3 inches of soil are dry using filtered water if possible.
Rattlesnake Plant
This plant may sound dangerous, but the rattlesnake plant is perfectly safe for dogs and cats. The rattlesnake plant is native to Brazil but grows well as a houseplant. It is named after the rattlesnake for a good reason too.
This evergreen resembles a rattlesnake with scaly, diverse, colored markings on its leaves. When dogs eat plants it can be a sign of boredom or primal instinct, but if your pup takes a munch on a rattlesnake plant they will be fine.
Caring For A Rattlesnake Plant
Like most houseplants, this one does best in indirect light and likes to be watered about once a week. Fast-draining soil is ideal for rattlesnake plants, and if you see its leaves drooping then this is a sign you have over-watered it.
Try to keep the soil evenly moist, not too much water but don’t allow the soil to dry out too much either.
If You Have Pets Should You Avoid Certain Indoor Plants?
The half-dozen plants listed above are perfect to keep indoors, and they won’t harm any dogs or cats that get too close, even if they decide to take a bite out of one of them.
But, as a dog owner, you should be aware of what plants need to be avoided. Dogs can display allergy symptoms from food, pests, and even common plants such as ivy.
Avoid the following plants when you have pets:
- Lilies
- Sago plant
- Aloe vera
- Dumb cane
- Elephant ear
- Jade plant
Even the classic Christmas decoration, mistletoe, presents a danger to dogs. The popular Swiss cheese plant can cause issues for dogs and humans alike. Coming into contact with this philodendron can cause skin irritation.
Summary
Creating an indoor garden, or just adding some houseplants can improve air quality in a home, and lead to a healthier environment overall. However, if you have pets you must understand what plants are safe to introduce, and which should be avoided.
Sometimes, dogs can develop allergic reactions to common plants, so if you see any signs of this you may have something in your home that doesn’t agree with your pet.
Yet, the plants in this article should be safe for any dog to live and play around with, even if they get very curious and take a bite out of a leaf.
