Plants that are toxic for dogs 

The dose makes the poison. Nevertheless, if you suspect your dog has been poisoned, it is important to know which toxic substance your dog has consumed, so that the vet can treat your pet without delay. The following list will tell you which plants are toxic for dogs so you can avoid having them in your home.

How dangerous are toxic plants for dogs?

Each plant species has its own poison, which can be found in the leaves, flowers and fruits. As soon as these toxins enter the blood circulation, they can cause dangerous organ damage. Plant toxins often disrupt the function of the liver, kidneys or heart. Hence, a particularly high dose can trigger a fatal cardiac arrest or life-threatening kidney failure.

Symptoms: what are the signs that your dog has been poisoned?

Your dog will probably recover by itself if it has only ingested a small dose. That said, it could feel nauseous in the hours following and could salivate more.

If your dog has been poisoned with a high dose, the toxin will lead to severe and sometimes rapid complications.

The signs of poisoning include:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhoea

• Central nervous disorders like muscle tremors, cramps and paralysis

• Heart palpitations and respiratory arrest

Some toxic plants can be fatal for dogs. In particular, the yew tree and its berries are considered highly toxic for humans, dogs and other animals.

First aid: what you should do

If your dog has eaten a toxic plant in the last few hours, you should trigger its gag reflex. Add common salt to lukewarm water to make a saline solution then feed spoonfuls of this solution to your dog until it vomits.

Important point: In the meantime, you must contact your vet, who can also administer substances to cause vomiting (emetics) or pump the stomach. Charcoal tablets and infusion therapy also help to bind or wash away toxic substances.

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Which plants are toxic for dogs?

There are many plants that are toxic for dogs. The advantage for the plants is that they are protected from being eaten by animals. To give you an overview of the many plants toxic for dogs, the following list summarises the most significant toxic house and garden plants for you:

Toxic house plants:

House plants are decorative and make any house more homely. However, many people don’t know that house plants can be toxic for dogs! In order for your dog to remain healthy, you should steer clear of the following house plants, amongst others:

Name	Characteristic
Agave	This popular house plant is partly edible for humans, but slightly toxic for dogs.
All orchid species	Thankfully the dose required for orchids to have a toxic effect has to be very high. Therefore, poisoning in dogs is rare but not impossible.
Amaryllis	The thick bulbs in particular are highly toxic for dogs and trigger palpitations.
Azalea	Caution! Mere contact with this pretty plant can be toxic for your dog.
Chrysanthemum	Your dog’s skin can be irritated by contact with this attractive autumn plant. If your dog eats the flowers, it can suffer from diarrhoea and breathing difficulties, or even balance problems.
Clivia	If your dog eats parts of this house plant, it can suffer from vomiting, perspiration and neurological disorders.
Crown-of-thorns	The crown-of-thorns with its white milky sap is toxic for all pets.
Cyclamen	Beautiful, but poisonous for humans and animals.
Devil’s ivy	This aroid contains calcium oxalate, which is toxic for your dog.
Geranium	No worries, geraniums are only mildly toxic for your pet.
Hortensia	Prussic acid, hydrangin and saponins don’t just affect dogs, but cats and humans too.
Laceleaf	If your dog consumes parts of the red flowers or other parts of the plants, the toxins irritate its mucous membrane. In the worst-case scenario, this can result in cramps and signs of paralysis.
Lilies	All species are toxic for dogs, since they cause permanent kidney damage.
Oleander	Even a small dose of the cardioactive glycoside oleandrin found in the oleander can lead to nausea, cramps, vomiting and life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia for your dog.
Passion flower	This plant species related to the passion fruit can prove slightly toxic for humans and animals due to the prussic acid it contains.
Philodendron	The philodendron, with its corrosive substances and calcium oxalate, is less toxic.
Poinsettia	Its milk sap contains toxic substances like beta-amyrin and germanicol, which can trigger gastrointestinal problems, bloody diarrhoea and neurological disorders in your dog.
Rubber tree	The rubber tree also has a milk sap mildly toxic for dogs.
Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)	Its light milky sap is slightly toxic for dogs.

Toxic garden plants:

Many plants that are toxic for dogs also lurk in the garden or on outdoor walks. Read which garden plants are dangerous for your pet in the following list:

Name	Characteristic
Aconite	Caution: Also known as wolfsbane, aconite is one of the most toxic ornamental plants in Europe and is fatal for dogs and humans even in small quantities.
Angel’s trumpets	Angel’s trumpets are another well-known toxic plant in Europe. Hence, experts also refer to this plant, which is toxic for both humans and animals, as a poison apple or devil’s claw.
Atropa	Caution: just a few berries are enough to kill your dog!
Autumn crocus	Highly toxic colchicine is found in all parts of the plant and it has a stimulative effect first, then an inhibitory effect.
Box tree	These popular hedges can prove life-threatening for your dog.
Cedar	All cedar species are very toxic for dogs, whereas cedar wood is harmless for them.
Cherry laurel	If your dog nibbles at the leaves or seeds, it releases toxic prussic acid. In the worst-case scenario, your dog can die from respiratory arrest caused by the toxins.
Foxglove	Just five grams is a fatal dose of the toxin digitalis for a large dog.
Golden chain	As attractive as the yellow flowers may be, the quinoline alkaloids they contain can prove fatal for your dog within minutes.
Hyacinth	If your dog eats this high-dose flower bulb, it will vomit and may have bloody diarrhoea.
Ivy	Every part of the ivy plant contains saponins. The consequences can be fatal if your dog eats the fruits, which have particularly high doses.
Juniper	The entire plant is mildly toxic for dogs.
Larkspur	Its seeds in particular can be dangerous for a dog that enjoys nibbling at plants.
Lily of the valley	All parts of the plant, even the flower water, are toxic for humans and animals.
Rhododendron	Popular amongst gardening enthusiasts, the rhododendron is toxic for humans and is even more dangerous for cats and dogs.
Thuja	All species have toxic etheric oils and the toxin thujone, which damages the kidneys.
Wood anemone	If your dog consumes parts of this plant, it can die due to the triterpenoid saponins.
Yew	The yew is one of the best-known toxic plants. Its toxins are found in its seeds, fir needles and red berries. After just a few hours, the alkaloid taxine influences your dog’s cardiac function and can lead to cardiac arrest within no time.