Protecting pets from perilous spring plants

Springtime is right around the corner! However, there’s more to spring than the warm sunny spot on the floor for our pets.

Warmer weather brings an uptick in specific types of preventable pet emergencies. Some are associated with seasonal shifts outdoors. Others, well, they’re much less common, as we’ll find out below.

Pet care tips for spring

Some dogs can’t help chewing on plants inside or outside, but certain ones can give them upset stomachs (or worse!). Keep a watch out for plants like sago palm, azaleas, oleander, aloe, tulips, lilies, peonies and hydrangeas on your daily walks. Some common signs of plant toxicity in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea and decreased appetite.

Likewise, some common houseplants and flowers are highly toxic to cats, and nibbling on them can cause severe illness. Lilies, tulips, daffodils, amaryllis, gladiolas, begonias and others can lead to an emergency veterinary visit. Common signs of plant toxicity in cats include vomiting, drooling and trouble standing or breathing.

You can see signs and symptoms to watch for, along with preventive measures for toxicity, in the Nationwide Pet HealthZone®—along with other health conditions, breed attributes and more.

Dangerous landscaping

Sometimes spring has more dangers to offer than just new blooms. The following are real pet insurance claims that have come in from Nationwide pet insurance members, each of which was nominated for a Hambone Award for its unusual merits. All pets highlighted here made full recoveries from their experiences, and their parents were reimbursed for their eligible veterinary care.

First up, a New York toy poodle named Howie scooped up an acorn, tilted his head back and let it slide down his throat, obstructing his airway. After failed attempts to dislodge the nut at home, he was rushed to the veterinarian for emergency extraction. Despite this fur-ightful situation, Howie was undaunted. “We figured he’d be exhausted and go to sleep immediately,” Howie’s dog mom, Heather, recalled. “Nope. First thing he did was go out back and try to grab an acorn.” Luckily, Nationwide pet insurance covers eligible veterinary expenses related to accidental acorn ingestion—and pets who go back for seconds.

Then, there’s the unexpected arboreal experience had by Olive, a tricolor Cavalier King Charles spaniel who managed to get nearly 14 feet up a tree before falling. “All of a sudden she books it and climbs up a tree chasing this squirrel,” recalls her dog mom, Trish. “She jumps up and is able to get on a branch and she kept going further and further up.” While Olive experienced a serious injury from her subsequent tumble, the surgery was a success, and she was pretty much back to her fun, loving and mobile self within 10 days.

Fortunately Nationwide covers eligible veterinary costs related to tree-related trauma, but trees aren’t the only unusual hazard our members’ pets have faced—other aspects of spring landscaping can be just as risky. For example, Washington state-based Belgian sheepdog Rider ran into a wheelbarrow full of flowers. “Rider zigged when he was supposed to zag,” says Rider’s mom, Joyce. “But he ran right into the wheelbarrow at full speed.” His run-in resulted in some serious injuries, but Rider's parents quickly got him the care he needed and, after a few weeks of discomfort, he made a full recovery. And yes, Nationwide covers eligible veterinary costs for pet-related planter plows, too.

Coverage when it counts

No matter the season, if the unexpected happens, pet insurance can help ensure that you can get care for your pet without worrying about the cost. Nationwide offers reimbursement for injuries, illnesses and more, for common (and very uncommon) situations that our pets get in. Get a quote today at petinsurance.com.