Hibiscus and dogs

Hello All.

My small dog has taken a fancy to peeing on two of my little tropical hibiscus. My big dog occasionally chomps on a blossom. WIll either hurt the plants?

my pooches piddle on plants indiscriminately. I shoo them away when I see them, but I know it happens twice as much. Leaves/branches that get wet will usually turn brown from the ammonia in the urine, but I have never had a peeing w/ fatal consequences.

I would be more concerned about their eating plants--if you have a toxic one, then there could be trouble. Other than to mark their territory, my dogs don't seem too interested in munching, but I know there are lots who do. Hopefully somebody will come here and share what they do to discourage their pets. Also, posting in the Pets Forum might be a good idea.

Thank you! I'm new here and didn't even know there WAS a Pets Forum.

Thanks again!

Welcome to Daves, Michele! There was a great gardener that used to belong here, Blaine, who swore by his own piddle. I guess the nitrogen in it? His yard was one of the better ones I saw, so maybe he was right?

Very interesting. But now I don't know if I should let my man know about this or not!

don't! I shared the info with mine and am regretting it BIG time, lol

So Vossner, you remember Blaine saying that? Think he was putting me on? I know this sounds terrible, but if I thought it would do wonders, I would do it. LOL

I do remember that, but I think he was kidding. simply too acid to do any good.

Figures since it is free. LOL

For some reason my pooches choose to eat the blossoms off of my hibiscus as well! So far, no ill effects....so I'm assuming they are ok......
The squirrels take all the blossoms as well, and I haven't seen them fall over dead yet....

Here is a link that will give you good info on plants that are poisonous to dogs. http://www.dogpack.com/health/poisonplants.htm

I think Hibiscus arent suppose to be toxic in fact some are used to decorate cakes and added to salads to be eaten!

When we had our pet Chameleon I read several times that if you add a hibiscus plant to their enclosure they woudl munch on the blooms and leaves. These are pretty sensitive creatures so I think if they can handle them then your dog should be just fine. If he has been eating them for a while you would of seen a problem by now I am sure. Just trying to get a little salad in his diet :)

Fairchild gardens down in Coral Gables FL told us when we were there that they had a problem with feral iguanas stripping the hibiscus flowers for food. My dog eats the flowers and leaves {Bad Dog!!} and gags them back up because she tears off big pieces and doesn't chew them too thoroughly so they start her gag reflex going. She has had no other symptoms and I believe that if she chewed them up smaller nothing bad would happen, except I would have to kill her. Here's a picture of Noodles the Dash-hound dressed as a beneficial insect, instead of as an aphid the pest she most resembles with my hibiscus.
Martha

LOL. Too Too CUTE!!

I am new to DG too, I joined in late March. I have really enjoyed all of the information available here and great advice from members. I feel like I can spend hours on here looking at pictures of flowers and reading on how best to care for them. I have two hibiscus on my back porch that I bought in late Feb and they were tiny. They have really taken off since getting them and giving me really great blooms. Anyways, I wanted to let you know that I have noticed in Plant Files that if a plant is poisonous it will say so under the "Danger" category. For instance, if you look up oleander it will say "all parts of plant are poisonous if ingested"...but for hibiscus their isn't a danger. Thank Goodness! My new puppy gets into everything and if I don't beat her to the blooms that have fallen, she will surely get them and have her time with them.

Just thought I would share a pic of my hibiscus blooming....

gardenmart your little dog looks like a hibiscus. Sooo cute.

ms_merae, Your hibiscus looks so healthy and the flowers are very bright. Is this a new plant or have you had it a while? It is really beautiful. I just got back from Houston and every time I go down there I have to bring back a new hibiscus. I brought back two this time. I only have about 30 plants that as soon as our weather gets nice enough to place them out I will be putting them in the place in the yard. I keep them in pots.

2pugdogs, my hibiscus is new. I bought it in late Feb and it was just a tiny thing. Once I got it, I planted it in the pot with Miracle Gro Potting Soil with Fertilizer. Other than that, just water. I can't believe the size of the blooms. They just keep getting bigger. One I had yesterday was 8" across!

It is beautiful, keep up the good work. It will pay you back with the nice big blooms.

Gardenmart, I love your little puppy! Just adorable!

How are things in Saugus? I lived next door in Lynn for about twenty years, and then up at Salisbury Beach. I'm loving Florida, though!

Its warming up here. I thought about putting some plants outside but it is still too chilly at night. Pansy weather. daffodil weather,but not hibiscus weather yet.

I am dying to set out all my Hibiscus, but the nights are still getting down to 40* at night. I want to wait until they don't fall below 45* at lease. I think that is about a good temp. for them at night. If I am wrong please someone jump in and let me know what temp. at night they will be able to survive. Mine are still blooming like crazy in the GH but I would like sharing my blooms. I don't know who I would share with cause I live 6 miles from town and about a city block off the main road hidden with trees. But I can enjoy them better myself.

Flowers always look better to me outdoors! I remember reading somewhere that 50 is a good minimum for hibiscus, but mine were outdoors several nights in the low 40's here in March, and they were fine. No bud drop or any other problems.

I thought at one time I had read as long as it stayed above 40* the hibiscus could survive. Where are the experts when you need them?

HELP Somebody.

We have quite a few nights lower than 40 during the winter (what we Floridians call winter) and even a few frosts...occasionally a freeze for one or 2 nights.....
Most of my hibiscus survive, even if they drop their leaves for a bit, they will pop back out as the weather warms up. If you have consistently cold weather all year long, I would grow them in pots, where you can move them inside when you need to.
I never cut them back until I know where the actual freeze damage is, after the new green growth comes out, then trim them about an inch or 2 below that level.

Thanks a bunch.

Linda