What to Do If Your Pet Eats a Toxic Plant: ASPCA Emergency Guide

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Emergency? Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center now: (888) 426-4435. Available 24/7. There is a consultation fee.

You look over and your dog is chewing on a leaf. Or your cat has knocked over the pothos and there are teeth marks in it. Your stomach drops. What do you do?

This guide walks you through exactly what to do if your pet eats a toxic plant — step by step, no panic required. Bookmark this now. You will want it before you need it.

Step 1: Stay Calm and Act Fast

Panicking makes it harder to act quickly and communicate clearly. Take a breath. Most plant poisonings are treatable, especially when caught early. Your job right now is to gather information and get the right people on the phone.

Step 2: Remove Your Pet from the Plant

Get your pet away from the plant immediately. Do not let them keep chewing. If there is plant material in their mouth, gently try to remove it — but do not put yourself at risk of being bitten if your pet is agitated or in pain.

Step 3: Identify the Plant

This is critical. Poison control needs to know exactly what your pet ate to advise you correctly. Here is how to identify it:

• Take a photo of the whole plant, the leaves, and any flowers or berries — multiple angles.
• Check the plant tag if you still have it. Botanical names are more useful than common names (e.g., “Epipremnum aureum” is more specific than “pothos”).
• Look it up on the ASPCA database: aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
• If you are not sure of the plant name, bring the photo or a sample clipping to the vet — they can often identify it.

Step 4: Call for Help Immediately

Do not wait for symptoms to appear. Call one or both of these:

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

(888) 426-4435 — Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There is a consultation fee (typically around $95), but it gets you direct access to veterinary toxicologists who specialize in exactly this. They will tell you whether the plant is dangerous, how dangerous, and what treatment is needed.

Your Vet or Emergency Animal Hospital

Call your regular vet during business hours. Outside of business hours, find your nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital now — before you ever need it — and save the number in your phone. A few seconds of searching tonight could matter a lot later.

If your vet is not available and you are not sure whether to go in, ASPCA Poison Control can help you make that call. That is exactly what they are there for.

Step 5: Do NOT Induce Vomiting Without Being Told To

This is one of the most common mistakes. Inducing vomiting can make things significantly worse with some toxins — certain plants contain compounds that cause more damage coming back up. Only induce vomiting if a veterinarian or poison control specialist explicitly tells you to.

Do not give your pet milk, food, oil, or any home remedy unless specifically instructed. Water is generally fine if your pet is conscious and not vomiting.

Step 6: Watch for These Symptoms

While you are on the phone or waiting to be seen, observe your pet closely and note any symptoms to report to the vet or poison control. Common signs of plant poisoning include:

• Excessive drooling or pawing at the mouth (common with calcium oxalate plants like pothos, philodendron, peace lily)
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Lethargy or weakness
• Tremors or muscle twitching
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Changes in urine color (dark or orange urine can indicate liver or kidney involvement)
• Dilated pupils or changes in eye appearance
• Loss of coordination or collapse
• Seizures

Note the time symptoms started and whether they are getting better or worse. Tell the vet or poison control team exactly what you observed and when.

How Long Does It Take for Symptoms to Appear?

It depends on the plant and the amount ingested. Some toxins cause almost immediate oral irritation (pothos, dieffenbachia). Others take hours to cause systemic effects. Lilies in cats are particularly deceptive — your cat may seem fine initially but kidney damage develops over 24–72 hours. This is why it is critical to call poison control even if your pet seems perfectly normal after eating a potentially toxic plant.

The Plants That Are True Emergencies

While all plant ingestions deserve prompt attention, these require immediate emergency veterinary care — do not wait and see:

• True Lilies (Lilium species — Easter Lily, Tiger Lily, Stargazer, Daylily) — cats only, but causes acute kidney failure. Even small amounts are life-threatening. Eating pollen or drinking vase water counts.
• Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) — toxic to cats and dogs, especially the seeds. Causes severe liver failure. One of the most toxic plants in common cultivation.
• Oleander (Nerium oleander) — severely toxic to cats and dogs, affects the heart. More common as an outdoor/landscape plant.
• Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) — different from spring crocus, contains colchicine, causes severe multi-system failure.
• Yew (Taxus species) — affects the heart, can be fatal rapidly.

If your pet has eaten any of these plants, do not wait for symptoms. Go directly to the emergency vet and call ASPCA Poison Control en route: (888) 426-4435.

What to Bring to the Vet

• A photo or physical sample of the plant (put it in a bag)
• Any packaging or plant tags
• The time your pet ingested the plant (or your best estimate)
• How much you think they ate
• A list of any current medications your pet is on
• Your ASPCA Poison Control case number if you already called them

After the Emergency: Preventing It from Happening Again

Once your pet is safe, take stock of every plant in your home. Check each one against the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database. You may be surprised what is on there.

Practical steps to pet-proof your plant collection:

• Remove toxic plants entirely — especially any that pose severe risk (lilies, sago palm). The visual appeal is not worth it.
• Elevate out of reach — high shelves or hanging planters for any plants you want to keep but limit access to. For determined cats, “out of reach” needs to be very high. A tall wall-mounted shelf can work for most cats.
• Use deterrent spray — bitter apple spray on pot rims deters chewing in some pets.
• Provide alternatives — cat grass and catnip give cats a safe outlet for the chewing instinct. best cat grass kits
• Replace with verified safe plants — there are gorgeous plants that are ASPCA-confirmed non-toxic. You do not have to choose between plants and pets. 15 pet-safe houseplants

Resources to Save Right Now

• ASPCA Poison Control: (888) 426-4435
• ASPCA Toxic Plant Database: aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants
• Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661 (alternative 24/7 service, separate fee)
• Your nearest 24-hour emergency vet (look this up now and save the number)

Frequently Asked Questions

My cat ate a tiny piece of a toxic plant — do I still need to call?

Yes, always call ASPCA Poison Control or your vet, even for small amounts. The severity depends on the specific plant and your pet’s size. A tiny amount of lily is genuinely dangerous for cats. A tiny amount of pothos typically causes discomfort rather than serious harm — but a professional should make that call, not you or the internet.

What if I am not sure which plant my pet ate?

Call poison control anyway — describe what you know (leaf shape, color, size, any flowers or berries) and share your photos. They can sometimes help identify the plant. If you cannot identify it, bring your pet to the vet with photos and any plant material you can collect.

Is there an antidote for plant poisoning?

It depends on the plant. For many plant toxins, there is no specific antidote — treatment is supportive care (IV fluids, anti-nausea medication, activated charcoal if appropriate). For some toxins, specific treatments exist. This is why getting professional guidance immediately matters — the sooner treatment begins, the better the outcome.

My dog eats grass outside all the time. Is that dangerous?

Plain grass (lawn grass) is generally non-toxic to dogs and cats per the ASPCA. Eating grass is a normal dog behavior. The concern is if the grass has been treated with pesticides or herbicides, or if your dog is eating ornamental plants in the garden that might not be safe. For indoor cat grass, always use ASPCA-verified non-toxic grass varieties. best cat grass kits

How do I know if a plant is truly pet-safe?

Check the ASPCA database directly at aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants — search by both common name and botanical name. Do not rely solely on general pet blogs or plant care sites that repeat information without sourcing it. And when in doubt, a quick call to your vet is always free and worth the two minutes.

Having this knowledge in advance — knowing the number, knowing the steps, knowing which plants are the real emergencies — is the difference between a scary afternoon and a genuine crisis. Save the ASPCA number in your phone right now: (888) 426-4435. toxic plants to avoid