Watching tulips emerge in the spring or receiving a bouquet of these flowers makes just about everyone happy. But how do your pets feel about these popular flowers? Unfortunately, tulips are toxic and poisonous to pets like dogs, cats, and horses. We’ll cover why tulips are toxic and what to do if your pets eat some of these flowers.
Why Are Tulips Poisonous to Cats, Dogs, and Other Pets?
All parts of tulip plants contain compounds called tulipalin A and tulipalin B. These compounds can irritate the skin if touched and upset the mouth and digestive tract if eaten.
Humans who work with tulips regularly sometimes develop an irritating rash from handling the bulbs. Pets can experience a similar phenomenon if they touch the bulbs.
However, the real harm occurs if your cat or dog eats a tulip plant or flower. If this happens, the plant will irritate your pet’s mouth, and they may produce more saliva or start to drool.
When your pet swallows a tulip, the compounds begin to upset their digestive tract. Therefore, they may vomit or experience diarrhea.
If your pet eats tulips, they may also become depressed.
What To Do If You Suspect Your Pet Has Consumed a Tulip?
If you think your pet has eaten a tulip plant or tulip bulb, move them to an area where they do not have access to any more tulips. Moving them to a safe space will prevent further damage from occurring.
Once your pet is in a safe area, try to investigate what they’ve eaten. If you have more than one person available, have one person monitor the dog and have the other person investigate how many tulips the pet has eaten. Knowing how many tulips your pet has eaten can help you know what symptoms to expect.
Next, you can call your vet. They can help you determine whether or not you need to bring your pet into the clinic. If you’re unsure about the seriousness of the toxicity, you should visit a vet in person.
How to Keep Pets Away from Poisonous Tulips
The most fool-proof way to keep your pets away from tulips is to avoid bringing tulips into the area where your pets live. That means keeping tulip bulbs out of the garden and tulip bouquets out of the home.
However, this isn’t the only way to protect your pets from tulips.
If you have dogs at home, you can try planting tulips in containers out of your pup’s reach. Since tulips are grown from bulbs, you can plant the bulbs in pots each spring.
Another option is to plant tulips in your garden and establish a fence or other barrier around the plants. If you opt for this option, it’s important that your pet cannot get through the fence to eat the plants. This means you may need a tall fence or a fence with small holes.
When it comes to tulip bouquets, try placing the arrangement in an area where your pet cannot reach it. A tall table or shelf may be okay for most animals, but you may need to get creative when it comes to agile cats. If you have a cat that gets into just about everything, the best option is to put the tulips in a room they cannot access.
Finally, store tulip bulbs somewhere out of your pets’ reach. The bulbs are the most harmful part of the plant, so store them in an area where your pets can’t access them.
A Few Pet-Friendly Alternatives to Consider Planting in Your Garden
If you’re worried about your pets eating your tulips, you can consider non-toxic and pet-friendly alternatives. Since spring bulbs like hyacinths and daffodils are also toxic, you’ll also want to avoid these plants.
Alyssum is a spring-blooming plant that is safe for both dogs and cats. Since this plant is an annual, you’ll need to replant it each year.
Strawflowers, bachelor buttons, coreopsis, and petunias are other types of garden flowers that are safe for pets. These plants are all relatively easy to care for, which makes them great pet-friendly choices for your garden.
When it comes to cut flowers, you have lots of options besides tulips. Asters, zinnias, roses, and sunflowers are all non-toxic to dogs and cats and work great in arrangements.
Are Tulips Poisonous to Cats, Dogs, and Other Pets – Wrapping Up
Tulips are popular garden plants and cut flowers, but they are toxic to pets. Both dogs and cats can experience vomiting, diarrhea, and increased saliva if they eat any part of the tulip plant.
The best way to protect your pets from tulips is to ensure they cannot access the plants. If your pet does eat a tulip, contact a veterinarian for further advice.
For more, see our in-depth guide to popular flowers that are toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets.
Briana holds a B.S. in Plant Sciences from Penn State University. She manages a small market garden where she grows vegetables and herbs. She also enjoys growing flowers and houseplants at home.
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