> <yng...@aol.com> wrote in message
>
[quoted text clipped - 73 lines]
> I tend to discount interest groups who make claims supporting THEIR
> products.
So you don't believe the research at Ohio State University?
Well, there are plenty of other sources:
How about the ASPCA?:
"Poinsettias
Did you know that Poinsettias are not the deadly flowers that popular
legend has made them out to be?
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are part of a family of plants
known as spurges. During the 1820s Joel Robert Poinsett, the U.S.
Ambassador to Mexico at the time, first brought poinsettias to the
U.S. from a Mexican city he had visited. It was during the early part
of the 20th century that the myth of the plant's toxicity began when
the two-year-old child of a U.S. Army officer was alleged to have
become ill and died from consuming a poinsettia leaf.
As a result of this rumor, the toxic potential of poinsettia has
become highly exaggerated. In reality, poinsettia ingestions
typically produce only mild to moderate gastrointestinal tract
irritation, which may include drooling, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Therefore, while keeping this plant out of the reach of your pet to
avoid stomach upset is still a good idea, pet owners need not fear the
poinsettia and banish it from their homes for fear of a fatal
exposure."
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_dyk
TThe American Veterinary Medicine Association of America (AVMA),
doesn't include poinsettias on its list of plants that are a threat to
animals.
The National Capital Poison Center in Washington, DC and poison
control centers across the country list the poinsettia as a non-
poisonous plant.
From the Minnesota Poison Control FAQ,
http://www.mnpoison.org/index.asp?pageID=26
"What is the truth about Poinsettias?
The fact is that they are not poisonous. Nor are they edible and it
can be expected that, when eaten in quantity, they may cause stomach
upset with possible vomiting. This may happen when an overactive puppy
devours an entire plant. In the case of a child who eats a single
leaf, no ill effects would be expected. "
Even more info at http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/poinsettia.asp,
if anyone is still not convinced.
> As I said earlier, our cat's just seem to ignore any houseplants.
> But I do know other people with cats who can't have a plant in the house.
> All I can guess is "training" made a difference, or just luck.
Our cats aren't interested in houseplants either, except for the
occasional spider plant. But if one of them did chew on a poinsettia,
I'd know better than to panic.
> Oh,... and the cat only seems to like milk chocolate bars.
> But will not touch chocolate milk though.
> We gave up trying to figure out why long ago, and just accept it has brain
> damage. <g>
I'm guessing it's not the chocolate itself the cat likes, but maybe
the fat. I also wouldn't panic if one of our cats ate an M&M she found
under the couch, and as mentioned, I very much doubt any cat would be
willing to eat the most toxic kind of chocolate, which is baking
chocolate. I'd worry more about dogs--my old roommate's dog ate three
dozen chocolate chip cookies one day when we were distracted by
something happening in front of our house, and he didn't even get
sick. He also once ate a 1.5 lb. box of Valentine's Day chocolates. I
imagine that amount would be pretty toxic to a small dog, however.
-yngver