Domesticated animals are actually more prone to plant poisoning than wild animals. This may be because our pets and all other domesticated animals have come to rely on people for their basic needs. These basic needs include food and water, in many cases. Due to this reliance to us, some domesticated animals, especially those that live and interact with people most of their lives, have lost their survival instinct. Other instincts may as well have been lost during the domestication, including being wary of plants and other suspicious food.
The question that has come up “is aloe vera poison to animals” can actually be conflicting. The conflict lies in the fact that people use aloe vera to treat many ailments and some people have tried treating their animals’ sickness and ailments with aloe vera as well. This shows that the question “is aloe vera poison to animals” as unfounded. So where does the question, is aloe vera poison to animals come from?
What Is Aloe Vera?
Before tackling the question, is aloe vera poison to animals, let us first take a look at the plant itself. Aloe vera is just one of the many varieties of aloe plants in the world. It comprises of a plant made up of thick, succulent leaves which form a rosette formation around the base of the plant. The leaves color is more on the lighter side of green with small spikes at the sides. Some leaves may have speckles on them while others are plain. They have a smooth texture and full grown leaves can reach up to ten to fifteen inches long.
Originally, aloe vera was more common in Africa but the discovery of its practical uses and medicinal uses have urged travelers to bring the plants out of Africa and grow them in their native countries. Although, not exclusively found in Africa, the concentration of the plants in Africa is more in comparison to any other part of the world.
Why Is Aloe Vera Poison To Animals?
The aloe vera plant has medicinal properties that are antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. These properties may actually contribute to the question, is aloe vera poison to animals. It is well known that some traditional medicines with these properties may cause an overdose or adverse side effects in people. Most domesticated animals, such as cats and dogs, weigh less than us thus making them more susceptible to these properties.
Another possible answer to why is aloe vera poison to animals may be the hard outer covering of the leaves of the plant. In people, ingestion of the yellowish sap found in the hard outer covering of the leaves can render us with a severe case of diarrhea as well as a severe case of abdominal cramps. The severity will depend on the amount consumed or ingested by the individual. There have even been cases where diarrhea and cramps as well as severe reactions have cropped up with just the sap being applied on the skin. To avoid these complications, people scrape off the gel like substance from the outer covering or cut off the outer covering. Animals do not have the capacity to do these things and this may be why they die when they ingest the plant itself.
The question is aloe vera poison to animals may actually be a case of over dosage. Some pet owners have actually tried to give their pets processed aloe vera to treat ailments with much success. It may be the raw or pure aloe vera that is poison to animals. Whatever the case, it is best to keep the plant away from animals.
