Pet Killers: Idaho Plants To Watch Out For On Your Property

Weekends throughout the Magic Valley include a lot of planting and garden care this time of year. If you own pets and even just a small chunk of land, some plants you might not be familiar with could be growing in areas that pose a high risk to your animals.

Idaho has many native species of plants and shrubs that are pretty to look at, but some can be downright life-threatening to both pets and animals if ingested by accident.

Many of us grow herbs and regularly cook with them, so make sure you don't mistake wild greenery for additions to that homemade pasta sauce or garnish, or you could be in for a trip to the emergency room.

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Idaho Fish And Game Warn Of Toxic Plants

Japanese Pew is toxic to pets and grows wildly in Idaho     Credit: YouTube

Two of the biggest culprits that grow throughout the Gem State that have the ability to greatly sicken people and animals are the Japanese Pew and Mountain Laurel plants. The Japanese Pew not only grows wild in the state, but is also used in landscaping, so it poses a real risk for animal owners, particularly dogs. They are highly toxic and have been known to kill pets and livestock.

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The Mountain Laurel is just one of many plants that contain high toxicity levels that grow in abundance in Idaho and pose threats to people and pets. Vomiting and coma are two side effect of the species, so don't make the mistake of consuming any part of it, and keep your pets clear of it.

We have two young Chocolate labs now that spend most of their day chewing up sticks and devouring plants and shrubs, so removing these toxic plants is a good idea if you come across them on your property.