Garden Of Death

Some just say, avoid it. Don’t engage, you say. But we now have an entire generation who can’t write, have never even owned a pen and who have even stopped using the phone preferring predictive text and posts.

But there is no going back as it is now the new language of communication. Nor like Luddites can we destroy the machines.

In my humble view the problem and the solution, at its heart, lies with us as individuals.

Each of us must re-discover the moral precepts of personal responsibility for our actions and social media usage would be a good place to start and take responsibility for our own social media dialogues.

I long ago learnt to never, ever write an angry email and after the last full-stop press send.

Recently, going through some career memorabilia I found a copy of an email I had sent my Executive Producer at Channel Nine.

It was clearly angry; it was all in caps! No wonder he got sick of me, though now we laugh about it.

Now I wait 24 hours before pressing send and invariably it’s either never sent or extensively re-written in the name of moderation and respect.

Social media, however, demands a race to post and the flying fingers of social media aficionados have no time to pause or consider. But we simply must, especially when we at Dogs Queensland are part of an organisation of members built by and for those members.

We may not always agree and there will be people we don’t like or trust, or who may not like or trust us. That’s life, move on and don’t be tempted to let fly in cyberspace.

Each one of us has the responsibility to manage those situations in a rational and civil manner.

Sometimes that will involve accepting decisions we don’t personally agree with. Join the debate but don’t fester when you lose it.

Kindness should be a concept you practice, as my Mum once advised: “If you haven’t got anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.”

– David Margan

Our dogs often spend a lot of time foraging and exploring in the heart of our garden, park or bushland. Unfortunately, there are many plants lurking there that can cause all sorts of problems, from mild irritation to death.

Berries and fruits may be the biggest poison threat but even brushing against some plants can lead to a range of allergies.

“When you look in textbooks about the poisonous principles of plants, each plant has the ability to poison a number of different systems in the body,” says Dr David Neck, veterinarian and vet clinic director.

What follows is not a comprehensive list but it may help you keep your dogs safe. Best to look them up so you can identify theses plants when you see them.

• For some reason dogs seem to like the fragrant shrub, ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ but their berries are particularly toxic to dogs.

• Nandina and Duranta berries.

• The large red seeds of cycads are highly toxic; as are grapes and the kernels of apricots and almonds.

Sounds like your garden of beauty could be better described as a dangerous jungle ... and there’s more:

• Bulbs might look to a dog like a ball to play with, but most flowering bulbs — including daffodils, jonquils, tulips, cyclamen, nerines and the onion family — are moderately toxic.

• Autumn crocus bulbs are highly toxic to cats and dogs.

• Arum and calla lilies (Zantedeschia),

rhododendrons and azaleas, daphne, rhubarb leaves, delphiniums, jasmine, amaranth, laburnum, oleander and weed lantana are also toxic.

• Hydrangeas, ivy, and its seeds, unripe flesh and leaves of avocado are moderately toxic.

• Wandering Jew, now known as ‘trad’, is toxic due to its tendency to cause dermatitis or allergies in dogs.

One of my family’s dogs was consistently having problems with irritated ears which he’d scratch and then that led to a haematoma and a potential vet bill of $1200. The dog is now fine and the backyard cleared of any trace of that plant.

But wait, it’s not just outside that danger lurks. Those seemingly still, quiet houseplants could also be injurious to your pets.

• Devil’s ivy or pothos (Epipremnum), Dieffenbachia (“dumb cane”) dracaenas, philodendrons, peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) and rubber tree (Ficus elastica).

• Other common toxic plants include holly, azalea, carnations, chrysanthemum, corn plant and jade plant.

So how do you know your dog has been poisoned?

Well that obviously starts with knowing your dog but if any of the following appear, get advice quickly. SPARE?????

The symptoms a dog may display after eating toxic plants or foods depends on the toxin as well as the pet you have, their age, underlying medical conditions and how much they have consumed.

“The classic symptoms include seizing or fitting, agitation or tremoring (if it’s affecting their nervous system), diarrhoea or vomiting, and drooling (this can be a sign of nausea if it’s affecting their gastrointestinal system),” said Dr Neck.

You may now feel like never going near plants again, but like many things, knowledge not paranoia is the point here, especially when a garden can be as pleasurable as our wonderful canines.

For more information:

The Australian Animal Poisons Centre provides a free service to pet owners and you can call them on 1300 869 738 between 9am-7pm and animalpoisons.com.au. And for those who like hard copy, a good reference book is: ‘Poisonous2pets’ by Nicole O’Kane