Is bamboo poisonous?

At the bamboo there are always contradicting statements as to whether or how toxic it is. Basically there are types of bamboo that contain toxins, but the good news is that none of them are fatal. Still, it shouldn't be taken lightly when having children or Pets accidentally eat some of the bamboo. The concentration is not the same in all parts of the plant, especially young sprouts in the raw state are questionable, but only problematic in larger quantities.

ingredients

Bamboo has a complex composition of ingredients, many of which have not yet been described in detail. It is known, however, that especially the sprouts Hydrocyanic acid contain. Hydrocyanic acid is a glycoside that can be deadly to both humans and animals. The plants also contain some bitter substances and flavonoids. The flavonoids are not poisonous and can be found in almost all plants.
Hydrocyanic acid in particular has a strong effect on the human body and can lead to the following symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• Bitter almond smell in breath
• dizziness
• Vomit
• Fainting

In animals, the symptoms are similar and poisoning manifests itself mainly through dizziness and vomiting.

Note: The hydrogen cyanide glycoside is destroyed by boiling and what remains is a bitter almond aroma. Other poisonous bitter substances contained in the bamboo plants can also be neutralized by cooking.

Beware of cats

Cats are known to enjoy nibbling on fresh greens. The advantage is that the contained toxins taste rather unpleasant and the animals only rarely Cases actually catch such a high concentration that it is a health hazard to them represents. In indoor cats it happens again and again that they eat bamboo plants because they mistake it for cat grass. Therefore caution is advised especially here. This also applies to dogs that also eat the bamboo plants.
If you buy bamboo plants for your home, you should consider the following:

• choose a non-toxic variety
• Plant should be cultivated organically
• Bamboo should come from local cultivation

In this case, it doesn't matter if a dog or cat eats the plants. However, they should not eat them in large quantities. Pet owners should always find suitable alternatives, because this way they not only avoid the bamboo, but also spare others Houseplants.
To be on the safe side, you can keep around the plants, especially when they are sprouting or sprouting. Seeds are placed to form lattices. In this country, bamboo plants rarely produce flowers and fruits, but even the seeds of otherwise unobjectionable species can be poisonous.

Children and bamboo plants

Even in domestic animals, it seldom happens that any of the bamboo plants actually enter the digestive tract. It is similar with children, who may taste a little bit, but that was usually it. The reason for this is that raw hydrogen cyanide has a bitter and unpleasant taste. It is therefore not uncommon for children to spit out small parts straight away because they simply do not like the bamboo.

In fact, some types of bamboo would even be edible. Some may be familiar with the bamboo shoots found in Asian dishes. When cooked, the bamboo shoots are no longer poisonous either. Because heating decomposes the hydrogen cyanide and what remains is a light almond aroma. However, children and pets mostly come into contact with the raw plants. This is also not a problem as long as the plant remains unharmed. Hydrocyanic acid is actually a protection against eating for the bamboo plants and only forms when the bark is damaged.

First aid

Even if it is very unlikely that a child or pets will find parts of the bamboo plant in one Consuming dangerous concentration, it is not excluded that nevertheless something in their digestive tract comes. If this is the case or if parts of the plant are suspected to have been eaten, parents should first and foremost remain calm. The body can process smaller amounts without any problems, but larger amounts have to Rescue chain to be activated.

At first, animals and children should be observed to see how they react. Hydrocyanic acid is in itself a relatively quick-acting toxin, which means that the first symptoms such as shortness of breath would show up very quickly. In this case, the following first aid measures are taken:

• Keep airways clear
• Remove vomit from the oral cavity
• Bring people / animals into a stable lateral position
• Activate the rescue chain - for people: call an emergency doctor / for animals: contact a veterinarian
• if possible, check how much plant material has been consumed

Note: There is not only a stable side position for people, but also for animals. Similar to humans, it ensures that the airways remain free.
If there are no reactions even after a few hours, there is no danger. Parents and pet owners who still want to be on the safe side can get on with their home or home. Contact the pediatrician and, in the case of pets, your veterinarian and discuss how to proceed.

However, parents should be careful if a child has previous illnesses. This also applies to pets with general health problems or chronic diseases. In such cases, you should act immediately and, if necessary, contact a doctor or go to the vet with a pet.

Do not banish bamboo plants

A child and a dog or Katz get along very well with a bamboo. You don't have to banish him from your home or garden. In the spring you can also check the shoots for damage when they are driven out, as this is an indication that animals may have eaten them. In addition, more hydrogen cyanide escapes precisely at these injured areas, which is why you should not touch the injury until the plant has regenerated and the wound has closed.
So that there is no danger in the first place, you should pay attention to suitable types when buying. These include, for example:

• Chinese Wonder
• Blue dragon
• Fresh Green

The “Blue Dragon” variety is even listed as edible. But even if a variety isn't poisonous, it shouldn't necessarily be eaten. Often there is a lack of specialist knowledge of how the plants are prepared. Because some types of bamboo can only be eaten with the right preparation.

tip: Anyone who already has bamboo plants in their garden and is not sure whether it is a questionable or harmless variety should have them determined. Experts can be found in well-stocked perennial nurseries, for example.

No detectable deaths

Even if dogs or cats as well as children get more than one leaf from the bamboo, this is usually not a problem, as it is only slightly poisonous. This is also shown by the statistics, because so far there have been no proven deaths due to poisoning by bamboo. Perhaps this is also because the poisonous strains are really only problematic for a limited period of time. During this time garden owners should only observe simple safety measures and simply make access difficult. As a result, living together with the bamboo is not dangerous.

Note: The content of ingredients can fluctuate, influenced by various factors. This includes, for example, the climate or the location, which has a more or less high concentration of hydrogen cyanide can favor, which is why a low concentration can occasionally be detected even in non-toxic species is.

In the dried state, as in the form of bamboo sticks, it is generally no longer dangerous because the toxin has already been broken down. In this case, even the dog can chew on a bamboo stick without hesitation.