Is Dieffenbachia toxic to people and pets? We're going to get to the bottom of this question today.
There are some plants that are considered poisonous and therefore dangerous to humans and animals . This also includes Dieffenbachia. Even just touching it can cause symptoms of poisoning and the leaking irrigation water is also poisonous. This can be particularly disastrous for pets, such as dogs or cats.
Dieffenbachia, also known as poison aron or silent pipe, belongs to the arum family and is native to South and Central America, and is particularly common in Brazil. It is used as an ornamental and houseplant because it is very easy to care for.
Note: All parts of Dieffenbachia are poisonous.
However, no one needs to panic, because nothing happens just by touching the plant, unless you rub plant sap into your eyes, which can cause corneal burns. It is recommended to prune or repot the plant while wearing gloves.
What kind of poison is that?
It contains, among other things, dicarboxylic acid and its salts, which are present in the so-called shooting cells as needle-shaped calcium oxalate crystals, but also 0.5% soluble oxalic acid. When the plant is bitten or crushed, the oxalate crystals are released explosively from the shooting cells and penetrate mucous membranes. There are channels in the crystals through which soluble oxalic acid and other toxins enter the body.
The mechanical irritation leads to the formation of blisters and inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The tongue can swell severely and difficulty swallowing is common. If you rub the plant sap into your eyes, it can cause severe burns to the cornea. Absorption of oxalic acids through the skin and mucous membranes can lead to hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. This can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, drowsiness, severe CNS symptoms, kidney failure and encephalitis. Just 3 – 4g of the plant is deadly poisonous. The irrigation water that runs off is also highly toxic.
However, there is little risk of adults nibbling on their houseplants, but the situation is much different for small children and animals, so you should avoid this plant if you have children and animals in the household.
What to do if poison is ingested?
to the doctor immediately and take the plant or parts of it with you. Under no circumstances should you drink milk, as it can actually increase the absorption of poison!
Gifte.de writes on this topic:
Poisonous parts: The whole plant is very poisonous. Stem axis > petiole > leaf.
Effect: When parts of Dieffenbachia are taken orally, there is a burning sensation, formation of blisters in the mouth, swelling of the mucous membranes, lips and tongue, increased salivation, vomiting and diarrhea.
The swelling in the mouth can lead to difficulty speaking and even choking. Clinically, necrosis can be recognized by severe burns in the mouth, esophagus and stomach, as well as bradycardia, convulsions, impaired consciousness, paralysis, arrhythmias and breathing disorders. The skin and mucous membrane irritating effect can cause speech problems for days. If dieffenbachia sap gets into the eye, increased tear flow, eyelid cramps and severe inflammation of the conjunctiva follow. The mechanism of dieffenbachia injuries can be explained very well with snake bites.
This is a combination of a mechanical injury caused by so-called “shooting cells”, which introduce the active ingredients into the affected part of the body. Calcium oxalate is released through the skin through groove-shaped needle ends. These “needles” have a length of up to 0.25 mm. Due to the rapid onset of the effects of Dieffenbachia's poisons, very serious poisonings rarely occur.
Measures: If taken orally, immediate administration of a cortisone spray is indicated. The administration of medicinal charcoal is one of the first measures. A lot of liquid must be given to dilute the active substances. If the eyes are damaged, they must be rinsed. Eye injuries usually heal after 3 – 4 weeks. Dermal injuries should be treated in the same way as burn injuries. Analgesia for patients is often only successful through the use of opioids. The course of dieffenbachia poisoning is, initially, always very serious. The therapy that has been started should be continued in a toxicology center. Control and further treatment of dermal burns. Kidney function should be checked frequently. Repeated administration of calcium gluconate iv is useful.
It is best not to keep the plant in households with children and/or pets!
Sources:
Image by dference on Pixabay
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