19 Plants Toxic To Your Dog

Just as plants can both feed and poison us humans, they can do the same with your dog. In some cases, the plant acts as just a mild irritant. In others, you end up with a large vet bill or, God forbid, a dog that ends up heading off to puppy heaven. 

 

Reading anything medically oriented online is always a stressful affair. The articles tend to focus on the worst possible outcome associated with a symptom to the extent that by the time you log off, you are sure that pimple on your nose means your brain is melting thanks to some rare virus found in Africa that has actually only killed 3 people in a world of 6 billion. For dogs, this is typically seen where "experts" suggest merely smelling chocolate in the air will send your Rottweiler or Papillon into seizures. As one of us here at Animaroo learned when a pet Golden Retreiver at a bag of Hershey's Kisses, things aren't exactly as dire as suggested. 

 

We've tried not to be too alarmist with the following list. Instead of focusing on what these plants can do to your pup, it is really more important to recognize just how many common plants can be a real problem for pups starting with our surprising first choice…

 

1. Aloe Vera – While we humans take it as a supplement, the latex found in the internal part of the leaf can bring on vomiting and dehydration in your dog. 

 

2. American Holly – The fruit of the American Holly causes massive vomiting and diarrhea if your dog eats it. For the love of your carpet, I hope they don't!

 

3. Angel Wings – Also known humorously as Mother-In-Law Plant, the leaves and stems can cause nausea and vomiting. 

 

4. Arrowhead Vine – When chewed, this plant will cause an intense burning sensation in the mouth and nose of your pup. 

 

5. Macadamia Nuts – You might love these nuts, but they can pretty much kill your dog. The problem is the nut causes muscle tremors, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate, renal damage and vomiting. 

 

6. Yellow Oleander – A dog eating this plant, particularly the seeds, will suffer cardiac problems and potential death amongst other terrible symptoms. 

 

7. Bird of Paradise – The seeds in the shrub version of this plant will produce a serious and unpleasant session of diarrhea for your pup.

 

8. Buckeyes – Also known as horse chestnuts, the nuts and twigs of this plant are toxic to dogs. If they pup eats them, it will suffer severe gastrointestinal pain and a vet should be sought out immediately. The plant will not kill the average dog unless they eat a lot of it in comparison to their body mass. 

 

9. Persian Lilac Tree - This plant is sort of an overgrown bush with beautiful lilac flowers. It also is very deadly to pups. If you pup eats the flowers, buds or bark, it is "rush to the vet" time. The pup can suffer convulsions, major cramping, serious abdominal pain and even die. 

 

10. Christmas Rose – This is another plant you do not want your dog anywhere near. Despite the lovely name, you pup can suffer violent diarrhea, abdominal pain, convulsions and death if it eats any part of the Christmas Rose. 

 

11. Daffodil – Daffodils? Sad, but true. If you pup eats the flower bud, it can suffer from vomiting and diarrhea. There is no direct risk of death, but dehydration can be a real problem so monitor your pup closely and make sure they get plenty of water. 

 

12. Hyacinth – Similar to daffodils, the flower bud is the problem here. Unfortunately, the effect on a dog is much stronger and they can die from eating the flower.

 

13. Iris – The stalk of the Iris will be one stick your pup will never chew again once they have a go at it. While the plant will not kill your pup, it will make them sick to their stomach for 24 hours or so. A painful, but effective lesson.

 

14. Ivy – Ivy can cause an allergic reaction in dogs. The reaction is so severe that the pup may actually stop breathing. Even less severe reactions result in vomiting and diarrhea in quantities like you would see in a horror movie. 

 

15. Mistletoe – Let's hope your pup isn't the romantic type! Turns out the berries on mistletoe plants are lethal to dogs. Eating them can result in cardiac arrest, severe breathing problems and cramping.

 

16. Morning glory – The seeds of the morning glory plant have an amazing effect on dogs. They can produce excessive urination and hallucinations. Think about that for a second. Do you really want a hallucinating dog that has a near constant urge to pee? Probably not.

 

17. Oleander – Oleanders and dogs do not mix in the least. The naturally occurring chemicals in this plant will kill your dog if ingested. Your pup will collapse and suffer from cardiac problems just to get started and it goes down hill quickly from there. 

 

18. Rhododendron – Another deadly plant, the Rhododendron will put your pup in a coma from which it will most likely not awake. Yeah, not good.

 

19. Tulips – Tulips? Yep. Pups have a habit of eating the bulbs before the plant blooms. This can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, hyper-salivating and depressed appetite. This will not prove fatal, but the pup will be miserable.

 

We fully realize it can be easy to become excessively concerned given some of the fairly common plants on this list. I mean – daffodils? Really? If you have a pup, the real key is to make sure you eliminate anything that could harm them from your yard. Once that is done, you should be alright in most cases although keep an eye on them when out of the yard to make sure they don't eat anything more than grass.