Woman warns people about plant that can kill pets

A Volusia County woman is warning people about a common plant that could kill their pets.

Merania Jeanguenat says there were a few ferns planted in her backyard when she moved into an Orange City home recently. 

She had no idea they were poisonous for dogs.

“I said to my husband, ‘What is this plant?’ Because she always runs over to this plant,” Jeanguenat said.

She says her 8-week-old puppy Mia was always trying to eat orange seeds under the plant. 

She decided to post about it on social media for more information.

“They were saying it’s a Coontie plant. I’ve never even heard of that before,” she said. “They are extremely toxic to animals.”

According to the ASPCA, one or two seeds can kill a dog. 

Mia, who weighs just seven pounds, ate seven of them. She was rushed to the vet this weekend.

“They were like, ‘Yeah, this is serious. We don’t know even know how she’s still alive,’” Jeanguenat said.

The ASPCA says the Coontie palm can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even liver failure. 

Mia got an IV and luckily, she’s doing well. 

Her owner says she may have survived because she didn’t bite into the seeds, just swallowed them.

Jeanguenat wants to get the word out about what happened to Mia, so that other pet owners don’t go through the same thing.

“A lot of people were just like, ‘Wow. I had no idea. I have that plant and I have dogs,’” she said.

She has since removed the plants from her backyard.