Photo by Adriana Herbut

The Woytek family’s Lab mix, Amber, a survivor of Hurricane Ike, was diagnosed with distemper in the months after her adoption from the Houston SPCA in September 2008. Amber survived distemper and lived with the Woytek family and canine “sis” Scout, a one-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback mix.

But things changed when Amber ate parts of a sago palm plant, which has dark green leaves and hairy trunk and is a popular houseplant. Unfortunately, it’s also highly toxic to cats and dogs. Sadly, Amber didn’t make it.

The ASPCA says that since 2003, they have seen an increase by more than 200 percent of sago palm and cycad poisonings, and 50 to 75 percent of those ingestions resulted in fatalities.

All parts of the plant are toxic, and common signs of ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, seizures and liver failure.

What’s more, in 2008 the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxins, many of which were everyday household items.

Watch this video of ASPCA top toxicologist, Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Animal Health Services, discussing the dangers of 17 common plants that you may have in your homes right now, including lilies, chrysanthemum and sago palm. Dr. Hansen shows you examples of each plant, so you’ll know exactly what to look out for.

Click here for poison prevention tips online. If you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.