The purpose of this article is not to discourage you from growing houseplants , but rather to inform you about some of the popular and common houseplants that are toxic to dogs . Labeled as mildly, moderately, highly, and very highly poisonous.
We believe that a dog is a curious animal, especially when it is young (puppy). Extremely argus-eyed in their search and if your dog has a tendency to search for something to nibble on, this list of poisonous plants for dogs will help.
Note: Many of our readers suggested through emails and comments that we shouldn’t label plants that contain calcium oxalate as toxic, and we agree. You can exclude plants that contain only calcium oxalate crystals or plants that are called mildly or moderately poisonous on this list!
Poisonous Houseplants for Dogs
1. Sago palm
This luscious sago palm plant is a favorite of landscapers. Dogs generally do not find it attractive, but if your dog is the exception and has a tendency to bite or chew anything, then this plant can be dangerous. It contains a toxin called cycasin, which is known to cause liver damage. *Sago palm is also poisonous to livestock.
Toxins : Cycasin
Severity : Very high
Malicious parts of the plant : the whole plant
Symptoms : Vomiting, jaundice, increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulation disorders, liver damage, liver failure, and death.
2. Alocasia
A genus of plants in the family Araceae, consisting of 79 species, originating from the eastern Himalayan area, tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, to the tropical regions of the western Pacific and eastern Australia. Some species are endemic. They are also grown as a houseplant.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalate
Severity : Moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : leaves, stems and roots
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
3. aloe
A species of leafy succulents, many varieties have various medicinal uses. But aloes are toxic plants for dogs but only when they ingest it . There are about 500 species, it comes in various forms: woody shrubs and sometimes vines. The geographic range of plants of this type includes the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, South Asia, and Madagascar.
Toxins : saponins
Severity : mild to moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : pulp and juice
Symptoms : Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, lack of appetite, change in urine color.
4. Arrowhead Plant
The most common species is Syngonium podophyllum. It comes from the tropical areas of Central America and the northern parts of South America. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The plant contains calcium oxalate in its sap, which is harmful if it comes in contact with it or is ingested.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates
Severity : Moderate
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, lack of appetite, chills, change in urine color.
5. calla lily
Water lilies are beautiful, but at the same time, they are one of the poisonous plants for dogs and cats. When the plant is chewed, clinical signs are immediately visible.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates and unidentified toxic alkaloids
Severity : mild to moderate
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : oral pain, diarrhea, drooling, lack of appetite, pawing in the mouth.
6. Strelitzia (bird of paradise)
Strelitzia, also called ” bird of paradise “, is an extraordinary ornamental plant native to South Africa.
It is also grown as a houseplant and for cut flowers, but it is included on our list of poisonous houseplants for dogs because it contains hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid).
did you know
Iraq used hydrogen cyanide in the war against Iran. During World War II, a form of hydrogen cyanide (Zyklon B) was used in Nazi gas chambers.
Toxins : hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid)
Severity : High
Malicious parts of plants : all parts
Symptoms : Mild nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, shortness of breath, decreased appetite, death.
7. Plant ZZ
The ZZ plant belongs to the Araceae family; Contains calcium oxalate crystals. However, plants that contain calcium oxalates do not pose many serious threats and can be excluded.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates
Severity : mild
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth and lips, tongue, excessive drooling.
8. Dieffenbachia
Often called fool’s cane, it’s one of the easiest houseplants to grow in your home, but be careful if you have a frisky dog or cat. Chewing or biting on this plant can cause injury.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates, proteolytic enzyme
Severity : Moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : the whole plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth and lips, tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
9. Jade plant
Crassula ovata is such a low care houseplant that even a non-grower can happily grow it. This tropical tree from Africa makes our list of poisonous houseplants for dogs. However, it is slightly toxic.
Toxins : Unknown
Severity : Low
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Nausea, retching.
10. Kafir Lily
The kafir lily is an exquisite plant with succulent leaves and orange flowers. It is not a true lily and can be grown as a houseplant. Its ingestion can cause kidney failure in cats; it is also one of the toxic plants for dogs .
Toxins : Lycorine and other alkaloids
Severity : High
Malicious parts of the plant : The entire plant is poisonous, but especially the base of the leaf, the stem, and the bulbs.
Symptoms : Vomiting and diarrhea. A large intake causes seizures, low blood pressure, tremors, and cardiac arrhythmia.
11. Fragrant Dracaena
Its common name is the corn stalk plant. Dracaena fragrans is slightly toxic to pets.
Toxins : saponins
Severity : Moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : the whole plant
Symptoms : Vomiting (sometimes with blood), depression, lack of appetite, drooling.
12. Cyclamen
Cyclamen is a beautiful flowering annual houseplant grown for ornamental purposes. However, cyclamen contains saponins, and if its roots are ingested, it causes some clinical symptoms, which require veterinary attention.
Toxins : saponins
Severity : low to moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : rhizome, tubers
Symptoms : Salivation, vomiting, diarrhea. With a high cardiac intake, arrhythmias and seizures are also possible.
13. Desert rose (Adenium)
A beautiful succulent belonging to the oleander family native to East Africa. It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant and can be grown in pots. But adenium is one of the poisonous plants for dogs.
Toxins : digoxin: an organic compound with a group of glycosides
Severity : High
Malicious Plant Parts – All parts of the plant are poisonous, including the sap.
Symptoms : Vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, irregular heartbeat, and death (if ingested in larger quantities).
14. Golden pothos
An excellent climbing plant that can be grown without sun, golden pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum) contains insoluble calcium oxalates that can cause mild clinical symptoms if chewed by your dog. You can exclude this plant as it is slightly toxic.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates
Severity : mild
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing.
15. Kalanchoe
A genus of plants in the family Crassulaceae. Kalanchoe is a beautiful flowering common houseplant. This plant contains a natural poison that affects the heart.
Toxins : Bufadienolides
Severity : moderate to high
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythm (rare).
16. Dracena
Dracaena is a genus consisting of 40 species of woody and shrubby plants. They are found in subtropical and tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Canary Islands and are commonly grown as houseplants.
Toxins : saponins
Severity : mild to moderate
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Vomiting (sometimes with blood), depression, lack of appetite, drooling.
17. Eucalyptus
If you are growing eucalyptus as a houseplant and have a dog, be aware that eucalyptus oil can cause lethargy and irritate your dog. Even the smell of eucalyptus oil can trigger your dog’s bad mood.
Toxins : eucalyptus oil
Severity : Moderate
The harmful part of the plant : Any part of the plant
Symptoms : Salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, weakness.
18. Flame lily (Gloriosa superba)
A beautiful ornamental plant, its flowers look like a flame. It can also be grown as a houseplant and particularly as a medicinal plant and has a variety of uses in Ayurveda. Apart from all this data, it is useful to know that, like most lilies, the fire lily is on the list of plants toxic to dogs . All parts are poisonous, but especially the tubers (underground and swollen stems). Ingestion of fire lily has caused many accidental deaths. It has also been used to commit murder, suicide, induce abortions, and poison dogs. * Most lilies are poisonous.
Toxins : alkaloids related to colchicine
Severity: Very High
Malicious Parts of the Plant: The whole plant. Due to the presence of colchicine, the whole plant is deadly poisonous. The particularly high content of colchicine recorded in seeds and tubers of plants. Superbine is present mainly in flowers.
Symptoms: Salivation, vomiting (bloody), diarrhea (bloody), shock, kidney failure, liver damage, bone marrow suppression, paralysis, death.
19. Fig Benjamina
Also called weeping fig, it occurs naturally from Southern Asia to Northern Australia and the Solomon Islands. It is the official tree of Bangkok, Thailand.
Toxins: Proteolytic enzyme (ficin), psoralen (ficusin)
Severity: Mild
Harmful Parts of the Plant: All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Skin contact may cause skin inflammation, ingestion may irritate the mouth. Similar symptoms occur when pets come in contact with the rubber tree plant (ficus elastica).
20. Flor de flamenco (Anthurium scherzeran)
Flamingo flower contains calcium oxalates which can cause mouth irritation and other mild clinical symptoms if ingested.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates
Severity : mild
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing.
21. Gardenia
Gardenia is one of the most fragrant flowers in the world. However, if you are growing gardenia as a houseplant, you should know that it is mildly poisonous. All parts may cause nausea and vomiting in your pet after ingestion.
Toxins : Geniposide, gardenoside
Severity : mild
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Nausea, diarrhea
22. Geranium
Pets usually do not touch this plant, but geranium may cause mild clinical symptoms in your dog or cat.
Toxinas : Geraniol, Linalool
Severity : Low
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Vomiting, anorexia, dermatitis.
23. English ivy (Hedera helix)
Beautiful English ivy is one of the best plants you can grow in the shade, even indoors. But the plant must not be ingested as it contains a toxin called saponins and it comes in our list of poisonous houseplants for dogs.
Toxins: Triterpenoid saponins (hederagenin)
Severity: Moderate
Harmful Parts of the Plant: All parts of the plant
Symptoms: Drooling, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain.
24. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
The peace lily is worthy of growing in homes. It can be grown without direct sunlight and requires low care and maintenance. But peace lily contains calcium oxalates if it is chewed by your dog or cat mild clinical symptoms may occur.
Toxins: Insoluble calcium oxalates
Severity: Mild
Malicious parts of the plant : the whole plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, difficulty swallowing.
25. Schefflera
Another plant belonging to the Araceae family (Dieffenbachia, Calla lily, Arrowhead, Dumbcane, Peace Lily, Philodendron, Pothos, Umbrella Plant, Elephant’s Ear, Chinese Evergreen , and Schefflera), plants in this family contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause injuries if chewed.
Toxins : calcium oxalate crystals
Severity : mild
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
26. Adelpha
Toxins : cardiac glycosides
Severity : Very high
Malicious parts of the plant : the whole plant
Symptoms : All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides such as digoxin. Ingestion can cause colic, diarrhea (possibly bloody), sweating, coordination difficulty, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, muscle tremors, and even death from heart failure.
27. Amaryllis (Amaryllis sp.)
Amaryllis belongs to the Liliaceae family, but is slightly poisonous compared to other lilies such as the Easter lily, lily, Asiatic lily, tiger lily, valley lily, and fire lily.
Toxins : Lycorine and other glycosides
Severity : mild to moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : Bulbs
Symptoms : Vomiting, depression, drop in blood pressure, abdominal pain, drooling, loss of appetite.
28. Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus)
The asparagus fern is not a fern, although its leaves resemble one. Also called lace fern, it is a common houseplant.
Toxins : Sapogeninas
Severity : mild
Malicious parts of the plant : foliage, berries
Symptoms : The consumption of its berries can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
29. Plant of Ti (Cordyline terminalis)
This tropical houseplant is extremely low maintenance, though it is moderately toxic to dogs.
Toxins : saponins
Severity : Low
Malicious parts of the plant : The whole plant
Symptoms : Vomiting (sometimes with blood), depression, lack of appetite, drooling.
30. begonias
Begonia is one of the most attractive plants you can grow indoors. But it is slightly toxic; contains insoluble oxalates.
Toxins : Insoluble oxalates
Severity : mild
Harmful parts of the plant : a whole plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
31. Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
A plant of the cactus family. Popularly known as peyote. It comes from the New Mexico and Texas regions. It is a useful ornamental and medicinal plant for us, but falls under the category of poisonous houseplants for dogs .
Toxins : Mescaline and other alkaloids
Severity : Moderate
Malicious parts of the plant : the whole plant
Symptoms : Psychotropic, intoxication, vomiting, diarrhea.
32. Brunfelsia
Brunfelsia, whose other popular names are yesterday, today, tomorrow, kiss me quick, lady of the night, contains a stimulant toxin called brunfelsamidine and another toxic agent called esperanin, which is a depressant.
Toxins : As Brunfelsamide, As Silver
Severity : High
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mouth and stomach (salivation, vomiting and diarrhea), muscle cramps, muscle stiffness, paralysis of the nervous system, coma.
33. cactus
Cactus species are grown primarily as ornamental houseplants. Most of the plants in this family are toxic and create a potential hazard to household pets due to their thorns and spikes.
Toxins : Many species have different toxic substances. The spikes are also the threat.
Severity : moderate to high
Malicious parts of the plant : The whole plant, in particular, spikes
Symptoms : Skin inflammation, lesion
34. philodendron
When it comes to the easiest houseplants, philodendrons come to mind. Philodendrons are slightly toxic, containing calcium oxalate crystals, which trigger clinical problems after ingestion.
Toxins : Insoluble calcium oxalates
Severity : mild to moderate
Harmful parts of the plant : All parts of the plant
Symptoms : Irritation of the mucous membranes, intense burning and irritation of the mouth and lips, tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.
