Whether you maintain a large garden or have a few potted plants around your home, it’s important to know which plants may pose a risk to your dog. Many common flowers, shrubs, trees, and houseplants contain toxins that can make dogs sick if ingested. Depending on the plant and the amount consumed, symptoms may range from mild digestive upset to heart problems, liver failure, seizures, or death.
If you suspect your dog may have eaten a poisonous plant, don’t wait for symptoms to develop. Contact your veterinarian, local emergency vet clinic, or pet poison helpline immediately. Be ready to provide details about what your dog ate and any signs of illness. Quick action can improve outcomes and may save your dog’s life.
What to Do if Your Dog Eats a Poisonous Plant
Acting quickly is critical if you suspect your dog has ingested a toxic plant. Prompt veterinary care can reduce the severity of poisoning and improve the likelihood of recovery.
If you think your dog has eaten something toxic, follow these steps:
- Contact your veterinarian, an emergency vet clinic, or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) for accurate advice.
- Try to identify the plant by taking a photo, gathering a sample, or collecting any vomit in a plastic bag.
- Be prepared to provide details such as the suspected plant, approximate time of ingestion, your dog’s weight, and any symptoms they’re showing.
Under no circumstances should you induce vomiting unless instructed to do so by the veterinarian. Specific plant toxins require different treatments, and vomiting can sometimes worsen the situation.
Don’t assume that your dog will instinctively avoid dangerous plants. While it’s sometimes true of animals in the wild, dogs cannot reliably distinguish between safe and unsafe plants.
Flowers and Bulbs That Are Poisonous to Dogs
Many flowering plants and bulbs commonly found in gardens contain compounds that can be harmful to dogs. Toxicity varies by plant, but even small amounts can cause significant illness in some cases.
Autumn Crocus: Contains colchicine, which is extremely toxic and can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, severe vomiting, kidney and liver damage, and respiratory failure. Symptoms may be delayed for several days.
Begonia: These popular container plants cause mouth irritation and difficulty swallowing when ingested.
Chrysanthemum: Contains lactones and pyrethrin, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, skin rashes, and loss of coordination.
Daffodil: All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the bulb. Symptoms may include severe vomiting, drooling, tremors, respiratory distress, convulsions, and heart problems.
Daisies: Contain sesquiterpene lactones that may cause gastrointestinal upset for dogs, particularly if large amounts are consumed.
Foxglove: Extremely toxic from seed to flower. Ingestion can cause cardiac failure and even death.
Geranium: All varieties are poisonous to dogs. Symptoms may include lethargy, low blood pressure, skin rashes, and loss of appetite.
Iris: Can cause skin irritation, drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy.
Lily: Different varieties affect dogs differently. Some — for example, daylilies — are extremely toxic to cats, but cause only gastrointestinal upset in dogs. Others, such as the calla lily, release a substance that burns and irritates a dog’s mouth and stomach. Symptoms can be mild to severe.
Lily of the Valley: May cause diarrhea, vomiting, slowed heart rate, and cardiac arrhythmias.
Tulip and Hyacinth: The bulbs contain the highest concentration of toxins, but any part of these early-blooming flowers can be harmful to dogs. Symptoms typically include excessive drooling, mouth irritation, and vomiting. If large amounts of bulbs are ingested, symptoms may include an increased heart rate and irregular breathing.
Shrubs and Plants Toxic to Dogs
Popular landscape plants can create unexpected hazards for curious dogs that enjoy chewing foliage, flowers, or fallen plant material.
Aloe Vera: This plant contains saponin compounds, which can make dogs sick and cause vomiting and diarrhea. While aloe gel itself isn’t toxic, the latex found in the leaf contains the harmful compounds.
Azalea and Rhododendron: Used in landscaping and found in the wild, these plants are extremely dangerous to dogs. Even a few leaves may cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, paralysis, shock, coma, or death.
Holly: While different varieties vary in toxicity, it’s best to keep your dog away from these plants. The leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lip-smacking, drooling, and head shaking.
Hydrangea: Most toxic compounds are concentrated in the flowers and leaves. Ingestion can cause lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal upset.
Ivy: Certain varieties can cause excessive salivation and drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the mouth and tongue, and difficulty breathing.
Oleander: One of the more dangerous ornamental shrubs. Ingestion can result in severe vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, drooling, seizures, weakness, and death.
Peony: These gorgeous flowering plants contain the toxin paeonol in their bark, which may cause vomiting and diarrhea if consumed in large quantities.
Sago Palm: Considered one of the most toxic plants for dogs. Every part of the plant is toxic, especially the seeds. Ingesting just a few seedpods can result in acute liver failure, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, decreased appetite, and nosebleeds.
Trees That Can Harm Dogs
Several common trees produce seeds, nuts, berries, or other plant material that can be dangerous to dogs.
Black Walnut: The tree itself isn’t dangerous, but the nuts can develop mold as they decay on the ground. If a dog ingests them, they cause digestive upset and seizures.
Chinaberry: The berries, leaves, bark, and flowers of this tree contain toxins that may cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, slow heart rate, seizures, and shock.
Fruit trees: Pits from plums, apricots, peaches, and avocados, along with the seeds of cherries and apples, can pose toxicity and choking risks. Eating excessive amounts of fruit can also cause diarrhea.
Horse Chestnut (Buckeye): This tree contains saponin, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, convulsions and coma.
Japanese Yew: All varieties, from the dwarf to the giant trees, contain dangerous toxins that can be fatal to dogs. Symptoms include tremors, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and seizures.
Other nut trees: Nuts from almond, pecan, hickory, walnut, and similar trees may cause gastrointestinal upset and intestinal blockages.
How to Prevent Plant Poisoning in Dogs
Regularly inspect your yard, garden, and home for plants that could be dangerous to your dog, especially if you bring home new landscaping or seasonal decorations.
According to American Kennel Club Chief Veterinarian Dr. Jerry Klein, the best cure is prevention. He recommends that you survey your yard regularly and identify any plants that may be dangerous. Then restrict your dog’s access to them. You may need to consult a landscaper to remove particularly stubborn plants. If you’re in doubt about whether a plant your dog ate may be poisonous, seek professional help immediately.
“The most common mistake pet owners make is to wait to see if the dog becomes ill before contacting the veterinarian,” says Dr. Klein.