It is always a shock when pet owners come home to find their dog sick and their favorite houseplants chewed to pieces. There are many safe plants that can be kept with dogs but there are some vary common houseplants and even outdoor plants that are extremely poisonous and potentially be lethal to dogs.
Understanding which houseplants should not be kept in the house or within reach of your dog is important. The following is a list of the most common houseplants that are toxic. Remember to check any plant with the nursery or with your vet to make sure that they are not poisonous:
· Most Philodendrons
· Chinese Evergreens
· Cordatum
· Corn Plant
· Devil's Ivy
· Golden Pothos
· Marble Queen
· Peace Lily
· Nephthytis
· Most Dracaena
· Taro vine
There are also many bulbs that are stored over the winter in houses that are poisonous if consumed by a dog or even used as a fun toy. These include most the garden bulbs such as lily varieties, tulips, elephant ears, gladiolas, hyacinth, iris, crocus and amaryllis bulbs. Lily of the Valley is very toxic both as a bulb and as a plant.
Common garden plants that are found both inside and outside that are potentially deadly to dogs include Dieffenbachia, Foxglove, Morning glory, Nightshade, Onions, Tomato plants and most of the varieties of ivy.
Shrubs in the garden or the yard can also be problematic. Trees and shrubs such as:
· Avocado
· Yew
· Macadamia Nut
· Schefflera
· Bamboo
· Oleander
· Mistletoe
· Yucca
· Sago Palm
Many pet owners don't realize that Aloe Vera can potentially be poisonous to dogs if consumed in large quantities. There are many other species of plants that can cause allergic reactions, rashes and skin and mouth lesions in dogs if the animal is exposed to the plants at certain times in the plants growth. Often the either the leaves, flower or bark is poisonous but perhaps not all three. For example, grape vines themselves are not poisonous to dogs but the grapes can be extremely toxic.
Safety Tips
Take some time to research the various houseplants and garden plants that your dogs may potentially be exposed to. It is not always necessary to completely remove the plants; rather they may just need to be placed above the dog's reach. Puppies are more prone to chewing and mouthing items than are most mature dogs, so by monitoring how your dog behaves around your house and garden plants you can predict if you will have to remove the plants or if the dog will not bother them. Remember, however, that even dogs that don't chew or play with plants may decide to do so at some time, so it is usually best to try to keep these plants out of the areas of the yard or house that the dog has access too when unsupervised.
If you believe that your dog has ingested a poisonous plant, or any type of plant, and is exhibiting signs of pain, nervous problems, salivating, drooling, vomiting or diarrhea immediately contact your vet and have the dog examined. Be sure to bring the plant in with you to help the vet identify the poison that was consumed.
Poisonous Plants And DogsNow is the time of year to get Peppermint Extract. Yes, Peppermint extract. Why? What if your cat needs to go to the veterinarian? What if your cat gets into a fight or eats too much turkey? What about that kitty breath? Nerves?
Catnip is in the same plant family as Peppermint, so this makes a lot of sense.
I'm finding all kinds of uses for Peppermint extract in my emails. If you need to bathe your cat for some reason, instead of getting your felines wet at this cold time of year, why not rub a little Peppermint extract on them? It eliminates the offending odor and works much better than vanilla or other, milder extracts you might already have in your kitchen. It helps settle their tummies and freshens breath. It seems to soothe the cat's nerves a little bit and helps them find sleep. In the act of washing it off her fur, kitty will get enough extract to help with hairball elimination-not by lubrication, but by relaxing the digestive tract.
Indicators:
If you have a cat that had to go to the veterinarian, came home and is the target (or makes another cat the target) of hostilities, wipe all the cats down with Peppermint extract. It will eliminate that "hospital" smell that makes the other cats uncomfortable. The cats will get along better, and the vet visit will be forgotten that much quicker.
Your cats get involved with a passing kitty and end up fighting between themselves because of scent, not visual cues. Wipe them down with Peppermint extract and they will calm down.
You get a new cat for Christmas - wipe them all down to mask the new kitty's smell. Your cats will smell the same and the introduction will go more smoothly.
So, get to the grocery store, go down the baking aisle and get a bottle or two of Peppermint extract. Keep it on hand year 'round.
I don't suggest using this for a long time because it's made with alcohol, but for short term use, it's fine.
Peppermint for Cats!Behold the wonder of the little green plants of spring. Today I will share with you herbal information and health benefits of Wild Blackberries.
Wild blackberries have historically been used by the Native Peoples for food . In the early spring Native Americans would gather the tender green shoots , strip away their tiny thorns, and use the tender stalks to flavor wild meat dishes. Wild blackberry shoots would also be added to other wild spring greens and mushrooms in a soup or in some other kind of dish. The Native Peoples of America used the roots and leaves of the wild blackberry for health benefits. Science has recently discovered that dark pigmented fruits like blueberries and blackberries have extra special health properties. Dark colored fruits are full of antioxidants that are very good for your heart, have anti-aging and anti-cancer properties.
I use the leaves of the wild blackberry in combination with Chamomile or Fennel to create a soothing tea for the upset or grippe stomach with excellent results. I have also used wild blackberry leaves with Peppermint and /or Catnip with excellent results for stomach upsets. This blend is often a great alternative for people who have severe allergies to any kind of flowering plants such as Chamomile.
Then of course there is my favorite part of the plant, the fruit. These small little black tasty jewels make excellent cobbler, jam,or jelly. If blackberries do not please your palette, you might consider leaving a stand of them growing in a corner of your yard to feed the birds. The birds will thank you for they love these tasty little black morsels. If picking wild blackberries is not your thing because of the thorns , there are several thorn-less varieties you can purchase that have very large luscious fruit. It is a great way to enjoy these healthy treats fresh from your yard. If you do not have a yard, you can grow blackberries in container gardens.
Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries can also be grown in container gardens. Berries are normally easy to grow in containers , requiring little to no care from you except water and fertilizer .
I gather wild blackberry leaves all growing season long .To dry them, I tie a string around the branches, hang them, and let them dry .The leaves are dry enough for baggie storage when the leaves crumble when you pinch them. Don't forget to date the baggie you place then in after drying, remember fresh is important . I add those sweet flavored leaves to my sooth your upset tummy herbal remedies.
Wild blackberries grow all over the land here and I am picking leaves, watching patiently, waiting for those little berry treasures to ripen. I am dreaming of Blackberry cobbler. I have visions of Blackberry jelly on toast, MMMMMMMM YUM!
The Totally Edible Wild BlackberryFor those of us who enjoy gardening, mosquitoes are a frequent pest. As they aim to feed on the nectar of flowers, gardens, to mosquitoes, are like all-you-can-eat buffets - we are open, come on in. This not only hurts your landscaping and ruins your garden, but it can also be detrimental to your health - mosquitoes are well known for spreading disease.
You could ignore these facts, of course, and go on with your gardening and with your life in some kind of West Nile denial. But, when ignoring mosquitoes and the problems they cause proves futile, you may find yourself in need of a solution. Luckily, there are natural ways to get rid of your problem.
Fill your Water with Fish and Frogs:Water, particularly stagnant water, is highly attractive to mosquitoes; it's where most mosquitoes lay their eggs. For this reason, having water in your backyard, such as a stream or a fountain, can leave you wasting away in mosquito-ville.
Removing water from your backyard is one solution, but if you can't part with your pond, try adding in frogs, toads, and fish. These creatures feed on mosquitoes and larvae, helping to rid your water, your yard, and your garden, of these pests. Activating the food chain, this way of extermination is completely natural; many aquatic creatures dine by the mantra "mosquito, it's what's for dinner."
On shore, setting up a bird house or a bird feeder may also help control the mosquito population: mosquitoes make great snacks for our fine feathered friends.
Use Garlic Spray: Just like blood sucking vampire, blood sucking insects also hate garlic. Perhaps they don't like the taste, perhaps they don't like the smell, or perhaps they once had a very bad run in with a pasta dish. Whatever the reason, garlic is one way to send mosquitoes on their way.
Planting garlic, or showering your garden with garlic sprays and powders, might not deter every mosquito from entering your yard, but it's sure to discourage some. Just the presence of garlic has the potential to let mosquitoes know your garden is cloved, er, closed.
Plant Marigolds: These vividly colored flowers are a beautiful and lively addition to any garden. But, unlike some flowers, they also have bug fighting characteristics. Marigolds produce an odor that mosquitoes don't like, and aim to avoid.
Marigolds are very easy to grow and can thrive in any environment, with exception of the extreme cold. Yet, they aren't alone in their mosquito fighting mission: catnip, rosemary, and citronella grass are other plants known for telling mosquitoes to bug off.
The above ideas should help you control your garden's mosquito population at least on some level. Wearing repellent, long sleeves and long pants can also aid your own personal protection. If all else fails, and you find mosquitoes just won't go away, you can find relief by simply taking your hand and relying on your own version of the SWAT team.
Bug Off - Protecting Your Garden From MosquitoesAcid reflux is a condition that can lead to various forms of cancer if left untreated for a long time. But fortunately, there are various ways to treat this condition. Among them is by using acid reflux home remedies, ranging from simple lifestyle changes to preventive measures.
So what are the best home remedies you can apply?
1. Follow the right diet daily. Acid reflux is a condition that occurs when the stomach contents travel back to the esophagus because the lower esophageal sphincter over relaxes. So, you need to avoid eating food which cause the less to rest too much. Examples of these are tea, coffee, radishes, garlic, onion, spices (pepper), oils, alcohol, sugar, soft drinks, diet soft drinks, asparagus (Brussels sprouts), high protein foods, pasta noodles, corn starch, eggs, plums, prunes, cranberries, and all processed foods including junk foods.
To better avoid the food that trigger your condition, keep a food journal. In your food journal, write the food and drinks you consumed for the day, to make it easier for you to determine which of them had triggered an attack.
2. Preventive measures. Your present health problem can also be triggered by some of your daily habits and how you eat your food. Therefore, be aware of the other things that can cause acid reflux. Examples of preventive measures to follow are:
- Not smoking
- Eating in an upright position
- Not lying immediately after meals
- Not wearing tight clothing
- Raising the head of your bed by six to eight inches
- Chewing your food slowly
3. Apple cider vinegar has been used by millions of sufferers as a replacement for antacids. Just add three or more tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and drink it three times a day.
4. Ginger. Herbalists recommend taking 500mg of ginger in tea or capsule form after meals to facilitate proper digestion.
5. Herbs. Drinking herbal teas like peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip (even in just small traces) can assist in repairing the stomach lining. You must drink one cup of any of these herbal teas after eating your dinner to reduce future symptoms.
Apply these recommended acid reflux home remedies to make sure you get rid of your condition. In short, follow the right diet each day - stay away from foods that cause it and consume foods that are safe for you and follow correct habits to make sure you prevent possible episodes.
Top Five Acid Reflux Home Remedies For Easy ReliefAs with most cases of snoring, sleep apnea leaves sufferers unaware that they actually have it until someone actually tells them due to the fact that they're fast asleep whenever it happens. This condition can cause serious complications, including death as the worst case scenario. While there are the conventional methods for treatment, there are some alternative methods like relaxation techniques and tea. While most people wouldn't buy the idea immediately, there is no denying the relationship between sleep apnea and the power of tea.
Of course tea isn't really the ultimate panacea for sleep apnea and snoring since most teas contain caffeine, which isn't the best thing to ingest before bedtime. But there are certain tea varieties that help with relaxation and stress relief, thus promoting sleepiness. If you have less trouble with falling asleep, you can get more sleep, even if sleep apnea is present.
There are tea varieties out there that can serve as natural sleep aids. They aren't exactly the holy nectar from the gods, but given a few weeks to work their magic and your patience and diligence will be rewarded. Just make sure to visit your doctor as well to make sure. Here are some examples that show you the link between sleep apnea and the power of tea:
Chamomile Tea
This plant's sleep-promoting properties have become legendary in recent years. Many have endorsed the consumption of this brew due to the fact that it is actually quite effective in doing its job. It can be drunk directly before bedtime. Sugar can be replaced with all-natural honey for better taste and added health benefits. However, some people do have allergies to chamomile, so beware.
Valerian Tea
Another coveted ingredient, valerian root is mostly familiar for insomnia patients who look for homeopathic ways to cure their condition. Due to this, it can be consumed for sleep apnea as well. It may not taste like strawberries and candy-coated goodness, but it definitely is effective in calming one's nerves.
Hops Tea
Most people know hops as the bittering agent used in making beer. While its properties in bringing flavor to alcoholic beverages are legendary, it is a less-known fact that hops can also be used to make tea. This type of tea is good for relaxation. With an ounce of hops added to a pint of boiling water, the resulting brew can be consumed three times a day to bring in peaceful slumber.
Catnip Tea
While it makes most cats act weird, catnip is actually good for a good night's sleep. With a teaspoon of dried catnip to a cup of boiling water, you can drink your worries away right before bedtime.
Sleepytime Tea
If you are looking for a product that is guaranteed to soothe your tension and bring you to slumber, then Celestial Seasonings' Sleepytime Tea is just for you. With a mixture of chamomile, spearmint, and many other ingredients, it is a drink suited for people of all ages who need help in getting some sleep.
With these options, you can finally get a night of sleep without being bothered. This is something that you can try out for sleep apnea and the power of tea.
Sleep Apnea and the Power of Tea