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  1. #1
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Samson Gorged on Rose of Sharon

    I thought I checked the proper type of flower but I guess I wrong. In my backyard I have four flowering trees (larger than shrubs). Been in my back yard for the 11 years I have lived here. Samson will be five 9/1. He's never once shown any interest in them whatsoever. I take him out every potty break. Well, Friday I came home and he had vomited in two spots...nothing but the blooms and not just a few - in the teens I'm sure. My pet sitter had surgery last week so her hubby was filling in. I think when he was outfront with Asher, Samson was eating the flowers like he was a vacuum cleaner outback. Not sure why. Since I had researched the plant a long while back and found it to be non toxic, it didn't worry me since he was his normal self. Friday night and Saturday he was fine. Saturday night/Sun morning around 0300 he got sick again. More blooms. Sunday he was mostly himself but I sensed a little change -- sad look more often (droopy ears and eyes), laying in a ball not all spread out. His appetite was very good though and he was drinking as normal. Last night, he was completely restless. Tossing and turning like crazy. He was panting more too. My thought is he had a bellyache. Once I got up this morning, I started researching the plant/tree again. I was horrified to discover what was in my backyard was toxic. At that point, I called my vet and he said to bring him on in and he would see me between appointments. Complete blood workup and urine analysis cleared him of any issues. Dr. Scott said his bloodwork was perfect and saw no reason to keep him and administer IV's. He gave him a shot for the bellyache and gave him something else and we came home with some med similar to pepcid. Sigh. What a day. I had to go into work...sadly. Came home and he was just fine. Hopefully that will be our last experience with toxic plants.

    Needless to say, I am cutting down those flowering trees. What an experience.

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  3. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Poor buddy! Neighbor has rose of Sharon along the property line. It's been a friendly agreement between us that if one of our plants encroaches on the other's yard, we're free to cut it back. Once I found out they were toxic, I apologized to the neighbor and told him I was cutting the overhanding plants more than usual because the blooms and seed pods were dropping in our yard. Next thing I knew, he was cutting them back even further.

    Glad he tested out OK. Nothing like scaring the bee-gee-bees out of you.
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    SamsonsMom (08-15-2017)

  5. #3
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    Yikes...glad he's OK.

    I never realized RofS was toxic. I used to have two of them in the backyard but cut them down when they got too leggy. None of my pups ever noticed the flowers. Luckily.

    Good to know!

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    SamsonsMom (08-15-2017)

  7. #4
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by POPTOP View Post
    Poor buddy! Neighbor has rose of Sharon along the property line. It's been a friendly agreement between us that if one of our plants encroaches on the other's yard, we're free to cut it back. Once I found out they were toxic, I apologized to the neighbor and told him I was cutting the overhanding plants more than usual because the blooms and seed pods were dropping in our yard. Next thing I knew, he was cutting them back even further.

    Glad he tested out OK. Nothing like scaring the bee-gee-bees out of you.
    Thanks, I was sick once I found out they were toxic. I will cut them down this weekend. Thank goodness it wasn't worse than it was. I've had a rough few months...first Asher swallowing that toy during a pet sitter visit and now Samson eating flowers dropped on the ground during another. Part of me wants to stop the pet sitter so they don't get into trouble while I'm at work! Of course I won't do that because Samson loves his pet sitter and Asher has grown quite fond as well. I try to make sure the home is safe for them but sheez, these guys know how to find trouble.

  8. #5
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    I'm glad Samson seems to be OK and that I now know about Rose of Sharon. I have one in my yard but it's outside of the fence where Lark rarely goes and never off leash. She can sure hoover up stuff off the ground in the wink of an eye, though, so at least now I know to watch out for those blossoms. I imagine the quantity he ate must have contributed to how ill he was. One blossom, one grape, one chocolate chip, no problem. Mass quantities, no good.

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  10. #6
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Geez, I wonder what possessed him to eat that many after ignoring them other years? Glad he is ok now.
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  12. #7
    Senior Dog Blackboy98's Avatar
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    Glad Samson is OK. Strange that he would eat the blossoms after all this time. These dogs really keep us on our toes.
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  14. #8
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    Geez, I wonder what possessed him to eat that many after ignoring them other years? Glad he is ok now.
    I know right! I have no idea what so ever. My vet was amazed when I told him the quantity and said immediately "Why did he do that???" I guess one taste and he was hooked.

  15. #9
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    glad he's ok

    but as others have said WOW! What on earth had him eating them at all never mind so much! That boy keeps you on your toes!

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    SamsonsMom (08-16-2017)

  17. #10
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tanya View Post
    glad he's ok

    but as others have said WOW! What on earth had him eating them at all never mind so much! That boy keeps you on your toes!
    Thanks! Wow is right. It stopped me in my tracks as I had the paper towels and spray all ready to clean up. Crazy boy for sure. His thing is sticks. The flowers never concerned me. I guess I wonder if this year the blooms are thicker and there were many more on the ground. He grabbed one and liked the taste? Not sure. But they are coming down this weekend. Sitter is taking him out on leash til then.

 



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