Would you be able to tell if this grass is pet friendly?

I have bought purple fountain grass in the past (and the dog occasionally gets to it), and have not had any problems. Since this is a 'new' grass I just wanted to see if there was a way to double-check, just to be safe.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Sincerely,


S. Jones
GetToJones@aol.com

Answer #1 · Maple Tree's Answer · Hi Scott-The ASPCA and The Humane Society of The United States does not list the Pennisetum as a toxic plant to dogs and cats on any of their lists. There is nothing I can find that notes the Pennisetum is toxic to dogs or cats. I also found it noted that Pawprints and Purrs identifies purple fountain grass as nontoxic to pets. Normally I would think if the genus of a plant is non toxic to dogs and cats none of the cultivars would be either. No plant files for the Pennisetum 'Fisrt Knight' or information on this cultivar that I can find note any toxicity to animals.
I know my cats love to jump in and chew on these fountain grasses. You can amagine how lousy this makes them look at times but eating the ends off the leaves hasn't harmed my cats at all. As you may know many dogs and cats will eat all types of grasses which may cause vomiting and or diarrhea but these symtoms usually don't indicate a serious medical condition. Dogs and cats don't digest grasses well which can cause them to bring it back up. Our pets eat grass at times to settle an upset stomach. I guess this is natures way of helping to induce vomiting that may rid the animal of something causing a problem in their stomach. I don't think my pets eat my grasses just because they have an upset stomach all the time. I think its just fun for my cats to catch and chew on the ends of the leaves as they move. As I said, eating the leaves of this grass has not harmed my pets but I have been told that if they ever seem to be eating too much grass they should be looked at by a veteranarian as they may have a nutrient deficiency or medical problem that may need to be treated.

Please ask if you have any other questions.

John)