Are Zinnias Poisonous to Dogs?

Zinnias are bright, bold, and beautiful. If you are a flower enthusiast, you have probably planted some in your garden or are considering doing that.

No doubt, these flowers can transform your space in more ways than one.

Since they come in many different colors, you can beautify your entire garden with them.

Plus, they are one of the easiest flowers to grow as they shoot and bloom pretty fast.

But are they really safe for your fur baby?

No matter how much you love flowers, your canine baby always comes first. His health takes priority over interior decor.

If you have dogs at home, you might want to know whether Zinnias are poisonous to them or not.

What are Zinnias?

Zinnias are a family of annuals best described as having bright, daisy-like, solitary flower heads on one erect stem.

The flowers can be single (one row of petals with a visible center), double-flowered (numerous rows of petals with invisible centers), or semidouble-flowered (numerous petals with visible centers).

Besides these forms, Zinnias can also be grouped according to shapes such as ‘button’, ‘beehive’, and ‘cactus’.

The actual plant comes in different heights. The taller varieties are great for the back of the garden while the shorter ones are ideal along a border.

While there are many types of Zinnias out there, the most common one is Zinnia elegans.

Are Zinnias safe for dogs?

If your dog seems to have a leaf-eating behavior towards Zinnias, don’t worry – let him have his fill.

This so happens to be one of the dog-safe flowers known to man. Every part of the plant poses no threat to any dog whatsoever.

As long as you use dog-safe fertilizers and manures, you should rest easy knowing that your pup is safe in your garden.

Should I Ever Worry?

Zinnia leaves may be safe for your dog but if ingested in colossal amounts, they can cause blockage. This is especially true for puppies.

Sadly, these little creatures tend to chomp on leaves when they have stomach upsets. Eating leaves induces vomiting and firm up stools for dogs.

Unfortunately, when the Zinnia amount is too much for the system to handle, it may cause blockage.

If you have a puppy at home, you might want to keep him off the garden until he is of age.

Consumption of massive amounts of Zinnia doesn’t only result in blockage but it can also signify an underlying problem.

If your pooch eats leaves all the time, it could mean that he has dietary deficiencies of sorts.

Perhaps he’s looking for fiber in the leaves since his diet is lacking in it. In this case, be sure to add fiber to his diet to curb the behavior.

It could also mean that he’s bored and needs an activity to stimulate his brain.

Offer him plenty of exercise and toys to kill the boredom for him.

The Bottom line

Zinnias are beautiful and easy to plant making them every gardener’s favorite. They add a pop of color to your home and garden.

The best part is that they are safe for dogs, cats, horses, and all kinds of pets.

As long as your Fido doesn’t consume huge amounts at once, he should be safe around the flower.