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The following list, compiled over many years, contains a wide variety of plants known to be poisonous to dogs. In some cases the poisonous parts may only be the seeds or leaves or roots. In all cases, use extreme caution and keep your pets away from these plants. If you cannot supervise your pets in your garden, replant with safe non-toxic plants. As with most things there are a lot of other factors that contribute to the toxicity of the plants, age & size of the animal, how much of the plant they ingest, where the plant is in it's "growing" stage.
Puppies, at least most of them, chew just about anything especially when they are teething and therefore are at far greater risk of poisoning. Also some dogs love to chew plants as well as the grasses they will chew for medicinal purposes, you must watch carefully to determine the habits of your particular pet!
Some of the toxic plants listed below will cause nothing more than a rash or itchiness but some will cause much more severe reactions (eg. swelling of the face and throat) just by your dog coming in contact with them. This can quickly become fatal depending on the amount of swelling…a quick trip to your vet is still the best idea if you see any swelling or know that your pet has ingested any of these plants.
Ascertaining the cause of poisoning is always very difficult so make sure that you take along stool &/or vomit samples for your vet and, if possible, the plant or pieces of it that the dog has ingested…try and find the leaves, twigs or berries that have been chewed. This could make a difference between life and death for your furfriend! Dogs usually will not chew on a toxic plant because they are not generally appealing but if you ever do have a dog poisoned by plants remove the plant from your property to prevent a repeat of the problem.
Ask your local veterinarian and/or nursery for more information. For plants with a number (ex. *3) beside them, please see the legend below for the most commonly known toxic effect. If you have anything, plants or otherwise, that you can add to this list, please send me an e-mail.
Plants:
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Aconite |
Alfalfa |
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Almond *4 |
Alocasia |
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Alsike Clover |
Amaryllis *4 |
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American Yew *4 |
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Andromeda |
Anemone |
Angel's Trumpet |
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Appleseeds |
Apricot *4 |
Arrowgrass |
|
Arrowhead Vine *3 |
Asparagus |
Asparagus Fern *4 |
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Astragalus |
||
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Avocado |
Azalea*4 |
Balsam |
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Balsam Pear *4 |
Baneberry |
Baptisia |
|
Bayonet |
Beargrass |
Belladonna |
|
Be-Still-Tree |
Bird Of Paradise *4 |
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Birdsfoot |
Bittersweet |
Bittersweet Woody *1 |
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Black Locust *4 |
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Black-Eyed-Susan |
Bladder Pod |
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Bleeding Heart |
Bloodroot |
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Bluebonnet |
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Boston Ivy *3 |
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Bouncing Bet |
Boxwood |
Bracken |
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Bracken Fern |
Broad Beans |
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Buckeyes (Horse Chestnuts) *4 |
Buckthorn |
Buckwheat |
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Buffalo Bur |
||
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Burning Bush |
Buttercup *7 |
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Cactus |
Caladium *3 |
Caley Pea |
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Calla Lily |
||
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Candelabra Aloe |
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Cardinal Flower |
Castor Bean *1 |
Celandine |
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Cherries (Most Forms) *4 |
Chinaberry *6 |
|
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Chives |
Chokecherry |
|
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Christmas Rose |
Chrysanthemum *2 |
Clematis |
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Clover |
Cockle Burr |
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Cockle Corn |
Comfrey |
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Coriaria *6 |
Corn |
Corn Cockle |
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Cornflower |
Corydalis |
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Cow Cockle |
Cowbane |
Cowslip |
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Creeping Charlie *4 |
Creeping Fig *2 |
Crocus |
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Crotalaria |
Crowfoot |
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Crown Of Thorns |
Crown Vetch |
Cyclamen |
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Daffodil *1 |
Daphne |
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Datura (Angel's Trumpets) |
Deadly Nightshade |
Death Angel Mushrooms |
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Death Camas |
Death Cap Mushrooms |
Delphinium *1 |
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Destroying Angels |
Devil's Trumpet |
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Dicentra (Bleeding Heart) |
Dieffenbachia |
Dock |
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Dogbane |
Doll's-Eyes |
Dologeton |
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Downy Thornapple |
Drooping Leucothoe |
Drunk Cane *3 |
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Dumb Cane |
Dutchman's Breeches *7 |
Easter Lily |
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Eggplant |
Elderberry |
Elephant Ear *4 |
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Emerald Duke *3 |
English Holly *4 |
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English Ivy |
English Yew *4 |
Ergot |
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Euonymus |
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Evergreen |
Everlasting Pea |
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False Hellbore |
False Morels |
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Fern |
Fiddleneck |
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Flax |
Fly Agaric |
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Four O'clock |
Foxglove *1 |
Fritillaria |
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Gill-Over-The-Ground |
Glocal Ivy *4 |
Glory Lily |
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Golden Chain Tree |
Golden Fowl |
Golden Glow |
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Greasewood |
Great Lobelia |
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Ground Cherry *1 |
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Ground Ivy |
Groundsel |
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Hairy Vetch |
Halogeton |
Heart Ivy *4 |
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Hellebo |
Hellebore |
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Hemlock |
Henbane |
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Holly |
Honeysuckle |
Hop |
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Horse Chestnut (Buckeye) *4 |
Horse Nettle |
Horsebeans |
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Horsebrush |
Horsetail |
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Hyacinth |
Hydrangea |
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Indian Poke |
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Indian Tobacco |
Indian Turnip *1 |
Iris (All Kinds) |
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Irises |
Ivy (All Kinds) |
Jack-In-The-Pulpit |
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Jack-O'lantern Fungus |
Japanese Pieris |
Japanese Plum *4 |
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Japanese Yew |
Jasmine *7 |
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Java Beans |
Jequirity Bean |
Jerusalem Cherry |
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Jessamine |
Jimson Weed |
Johnson Grass |
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Jonquil |
Jungle Trumpets |
Juniper |
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Kentucky Coffee Tree |
Klamath Weed |
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Laburnum |
Lamb's Quarters |
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Lantana |
Larkspur *1 |
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Laurel |
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Lily (Most Forms) |
Lily-Of-The-Valley |
Lobelia |
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Locoweed |
Lucerne |
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Lupine *7 |
Mandrake (May Apple) *7 |
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Marble Queen |
Marigold |
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Marijuana *5 |
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Marsh Marigold (Cowslip) |
Matrimony Vine *7 |
Mayapple (Mandrake) *7 |
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Mescal Bean *7 |
Mexican Poppy |
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Milkweed |
Milo |
Mistletoe |
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Mock Orange *4 |
Monkey Agaric Mushrooms |
Monkey Pod |
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Monkshood |
Monstera |
Moon Flower |
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Moonseed |
Moonweed *6 |
Morning Glory *5 |
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Mountain Fetterbush |
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Mountain Laurel |
Mushrooms *7 |
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Narcissus |
Narrow-Leaved Vetch |
Nettle |
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Nightshade |
Nutmeg *5 |
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Nux Vomica |
Oak |
Oak (Leaves & Acorns) |
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Oleander |
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Onion |
Opium Poppy |
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Oxalis |
Panther |
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Panther Cap Mushrooms |
Pathos *3 |
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Peach *4 |
Pear |
Pencil Tree |
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Peony |
Periwinkle *5 |
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Peyote *5 |
Philodendron *3 |
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Pigweed |
Pimpernal |
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Poinciana |
Poinsettia *2 |
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Poison Hemlock *7 |
Poison Ivy |
Poison Oak |
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Poison Sumac |
Poison Vetch |
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Pokeweed *1 |
Ponderosa Pine |
Pop Mum *2 |
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Poppies |
Poppy |
Pot Mum *4 |
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Potato |
Precatory Bean |
|
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Prickly Poppy |
||
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Privet *4 |
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Purple Vetch |
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Pyracabtha |
Ragwort |
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Rain Tree |
Rattle Bush |
|
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Red Cedar |
Red Clover |
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Red Princess *3 |
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Red Sage |
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Rhododendron |
Rhubarb *7 |
Rosary Pea |
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Rubber Plant |
Saint Johns Wort |
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Scotch Broom |
||
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Senecio |
Sensitive Fern |
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Sierra Laurel |
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Singletary Pea |
||
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Skunk Cabbage *1 |
||
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Sneezeweed |
Snowberry |
Snowdrop |
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Snow-On-The-Mountain |
Soapberry |
Sorghum |
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Sour Dock (Sorrel) Spinach |
Spider Mum *2/4 |
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Spinach |
Spindletree Seeds |
|
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Sprangeri Fern |
||
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Spurge Laurel |
Squirrel Corn |
|
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Staggerweed |
Star Of Bethlehem |
Stinging Nettle |
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Sudan Grass |
||
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Sweet Clover |
||
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Sweetpea |
||
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Tangier Pea |
Tansy |
|
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Thistle Yew |
Timber Milk Vetch |
Toadstools |
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Tobacco |
Tomato |
Tomato Vine *7 |
|
Tree Tobacco |
Tree Vetch |
|
|
Trefoil |
Trillium |
Tulip |
|
Tung Oil |
Tung Tree |
|
|
Umbrella Plant *4 |
||
|
Vetch |
Virginia Creeper |
Walnuts |
|
Water Hemlock *6 |
Weeping Fig *2 |
West Indian Lantana |
|
Western Yew *4 |
||
|
White Clover |
||
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White Snakeroot |
||
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Wild Call |
||
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Wisteria *1 |
Wolfsbane |
|
|
Yellow Jasmine |
||
|
Yellow Sage |
Yellow Star |
|
|
Yew (Most Forms) *4 |
|
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LEGEND:
*1 Can cause diarrhea &/or vomiting
*2 Can cause irritation/rash if in contact with skin
*3 Can cause irritation/swelling in tongue and lips
*4 Can cause abdominal pain/cramps, diarrhea, &/or vomiting. Some of these
plants can cause tumors, heart & respiratory &/or kidney problems.
*5 Hallucinogens
*6 Can cause convulsions
*7 Other toxic effects
OTHER COMMON ITEMS THAT ARE VERY TOXIC TO ANIMALS:
| Acetaminophen | Adhesives | Algae toxins |
| Antifreeze | Aspirin | Batteries |
| Battery Acids | Bleach | Boric acid |
| Brake fluid | Carbon monoxide | Carburetor cleaner |
| Chocolate | Cleaning fluid | Cosmetics |
| Deodorants | Deodorizers | Detergent |
| Disinfectants | Drain Cleaners | Dye |
| Fire extinguisher fluid | Fireworks | Fungicides |
| Furniture polish | Garden Fertilizer | Gasoline |
| Hair coloring | Herbicides | Household cleaners |
| Ibuprofen | Insecticides | Isopropyl alcohol |
| Kerosene | Laxatives | Lead |
| Lighter fluid | Lye | Matches |
| Metal polish | Mineral spirits | Mothballs |
| Motor oil | Nail polish | Nail polish remover |
| Onions | Oven cleaner | Paint |
| Paint remover | Permanent-wave lotion | Phenol |
| Photographic developer | Rat poison | Rubbing alcohol |
| Shoe polish | Sleeping pills | Snail or slug bait |
| Soap | Some snakes, insects and toads | Suntan lotion |
| Tar | Toilet bowl cleaner | Turpentine |
| Windshield-washer fluid | Wood preservatives |
Signs of Poisoning:
No matter how careful you are, your pets may one day fall victim to poison. If you suspect this, call your veterinarian immediately and report your pet's symptoms. Do not wait to see if the symptoms go away. (In the case of antifreeze poisoning, a dog may act drunk for several hours and then show no symptoms at all for another one to seven hours.)
Meanwhile, keep your pet as warm and dry as possible. If you can figure out the source of the poison, take it or a sample with you to the vet. Also take along the poison's container, if possible, since many labels list the antidote.
Get to your veterinarian as soon as possible!If you're unsure of the source of the poison, check to see if your pet has been chewing or playing with something questionable like spilled or opened containers of medicine, spoiled food, garbage, etc. An abnormal odor on your pet's breath or body could also signify that your pet has been into something dangerous. Burns or tender areas on the skin or mouth could indicate that your pet has eaten something toxic.
| ROUTE OF POISON | EXAMPLES | SYMPTOMS |
| Ingested by mouth | medicines, chemicals-antifreeze, oil, tar, cleaning fluids, polishes, insecticides, weed killer, fertilizers, paints, solvents | stomach and bowel symptoms like cramps, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea; weakness, drooling, slow breathing |
| Inhaled | fumes from cleaning fluid, gasoline, kerosene, lacquer thinner, airplane glue, automobile or heater exhaust smoke, gas leaks, etc. | coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, blueness of the lining of the mouth. Difficulty breathing leading to no breathing at all in serious cases |
| Absorbed by mouth or skin | paint solvents, kerosene, tar, insecticides, strong soaps, acids, and alkalines | redness and irritation on the affected area; possible severe irritation of the eyes and mouth |
| Injected under the skin | insect bites, snake bites | pain and swelling at the point of contact; general effects on breathing and circulation--the nervous system in general |
Malicious Poisoning:
If you suspect the poisoning was malicious and not accidental, contact your local humane society, animal control agency or police department and provide the necessary information for a full report and investigation. If your pet dies, have an autopsy performed by a veterinarian to determine the exact cause of death. Although this procedure is expensive, it is necessary if charges are brought against a suspected malicious poisoner.
Keep your veterinarian's regular and emergency numbers handy!
Written by Jeni Gallichan, Mikatura Australian Shepherds, 06-01-99 and used with permission.
