Curiosity and greediness are the two most common reasons why dogs indulge in plants and fruits. Could it be delicious? Especially puppies are highly vulnerable to poisoning because they put everything in their mouths. It is crucial to recognize toxic plants for dogs & puppies to protect your dog from danger!

Are Poisonings in Dogs a Common Problem?

Indeed, poisonings in dogs occur relatively frequently. However, dogs more often poison themselves with unsuitable foods, medications, or bait than with poisonous plants.

Dog owners must be aware of the symptoms indicating a possible poisoning, which forest, garden, and indoor plants can be harmful to their four-legged friends, and what measures are necessary in case of poisoning.

Tip: The myth that animals can recognize poisonous plants persists. Especially with dogs, which are normally carnivores and typically show little interest in plants, the danger is often underestimated. Unfortunately, this leads to avoidable incidents of poisonings in furry friends.

Which Plants Are Poisonous for Dogs?

There is a variety of native and introduced plants that are toxic to dogs. Some of the most toxic plants were originally imported from abroad and have now become widespread in our parks.

For most poisonous plants, there is a danger only if your dog eats parts of the plant. These can be leaves, stems, or even fruits. Be cautious if your dog likes to gnaw on sticks found in the forest or park – you never know which tree the branch or twig comes from.

The risk is particularly high with certain foods that are toxic to dogs. Especially because your dog sees you eating, he might be motivated to try these plant products himself.

Another danger comes from plants with contact toxins or allergens. They act upon skin contact and can lead to severe illnesses. The primary representative of these plants is the giant hogweed. Contact with the skin transfers toxins, which then, under sunlight, cause a so-called phototoxic reaction. Severe inflammations resembling burns occur at the affected skin areas.

Toxic Indoor Plants for Dogs

Even before your puppy moves in, you should check the toxicity of your indoor plants. For a small dog or a puppy, it’s best to place potted plants at an elevated level – on shelves and window sills. However, if there is the slightest risk that your dog can reach an indoor plant or, for example, it may be knocked off the windowsill by your cat, consider giving away the plant.

Among the indoor plants toxic to dogs that many people use to beautify their homes are ficus, fern, tulip, hyacinth, daffodil, cyclamen, crocus, dieffenbachia, oleander, philodendron, anthurium, croton, crown of thorns, azalea, and the poisonous poinsettia.

Harmful Greens in the Garden

Especially outdoors, it’s crucial to be vigilant. This applies to your own garden as well as parks and forests. Shrubs and bushes not only tempt puppies to nibble, chew, and shred but can also introduce significant amounts of potentially dangerous plant substances into your dog’s or puppy’s stomach through saliva. Particularly significant danger in German parks, gardens, and forests comes from yew, winter daphne, laburnum, and wisteria. They contain potent toxins that can be hazardous to your pet.

The same applies to the widespread and popular elderberry. It is poisonous and should not be used as a stick for the dog. Additionally, rowan, lilac, oleander, cherry laurel, rhododendron, ivy, boxwood, deadly nightshade, juniper, and holly can lead to poisoning in dogs.

Precautions in the garden should go further: It’s best to completely avoid the use of chemicals like slug pellets or weed killers. The compost heap should be positioned so that it is inaccessible to the dog. Absolutely avoid the use of rat poison and similar products. They belong in professional hands and must never be accessible to your four-legged friend.

Which Flowers Are Poisonous for Dogs?

In spring, it is especially the pretty bulb plants tulip, crocus, hyacinth, and daffodil, primrose, Siberian squill, and primula that your furry friend or puppy should be kept away from. Lily of the valley poses a danger mainly to humans during wild garlic harvesting but is also toxic to your canine companion.

In spring and summer, there is a large number of popular but unfortunately very toxic flowers in the garden. These include hydrangea, monkshood, angel’s trumpet, foxglove in all its colors, and broom.

In autumn, autumn crocus poses a significant danger. Your dog could find these crocus-like plants in meadows and ornamental gardens.

Poisonous Fruits and Foods

In addition to flowers and leaves, fruits, in particular, pose a significant danger to your furry friend. Just one red berry from the yew tree means acute danger to life. Also dangerous is the spindle tree. This plant forms conspicuously colored fruits that dogs like to eat and can be lethally toxic!

Other fruits that your dog should not snack on include deadly nightshade berries, juniper berries, and elderberries.

Caution: Your dog might even find some of these berries like juniper or elderberries in the kitchen or your own garden.

Also not to be underestimated are fruits commonly found in many households in the fruit bowl: grapes. Even a few grapes or raisins can cause severe poisoning and lead to death. With grapes, symptoms often occur delayed up to 24 hours, making it challenging to recognize the poisoning.

However, the greatest poisoning risk for our dogs in the US is actually in the household – chocolate. The responsible plant is the cocoa tree. Cocoa is highly toxic to dogs. The higher the cocoa content in chocolate, the more dangerous it is for a four-legged friend.

Checking for Toxicity

You want to check if there are toxic plants in your garden or on your windowsill? There are numerous websites on the internet that provide information about poisonous plants for dogs. The American Kennel Club has set up detailed veterinary pages. There, you can find a complete list of all toxic plants, poisoning symptoms, and first aid measures.

Tip: Unsure if the plants in your environment are safe and what they even are? There are apps that can tell you with a simple photo from your smartphone camera what type of plant it is and even whether it is toxic.

We have compiled the most frequently asked questions about potentially poisonous native plants for you below.

Is Ivy poisonous to dogs?

Yes, all parts of ivy are poisonous to dogs. The fruits are often eaten and can cause poisoning.

Is Mountain Ash poisonous to dogs?

Mountain Ash produces bird cherries as fruits – a slightly toxic fruit for humans and animals. Since they taste very bitter, most dogs try at most one berry and then naturally avoid it. Such a small amount is harmless.

Are Avocados poisonous to dogs?

All parts of avocados – flesh and seed – are toxic to dogs. Dispose of leftovers securely in organic waste, not on the compost heap where dogs or cats could possibly reach them.

Are Potatoes poisonous to dogs?

Raw potatoes are actually poorly tolerated by dogs. Green spots contain poison. Cooked potatoes are very suitable for homemade dog food. Just be sure to remove green spots and never throw potato peeling leftovers on the compost heap.

Is Xylitol poisonous to dogs?

Xylitol is becoming increasingly popular as a sweetener for humans. However, it is very toxic to dogs! This also applies to foods prepared with it.

Toxic Plants for Puppies

Unfortunately, puppies are at the highest risk of poisoning. They explore their environment with all their senses – including their mouths and teeth. Leaves are caught and torn, sticks are chewed, or roots and bulbs are dug up. Before your puppy moves in, walk through your home and garden with open eyes. Safely put away indoor plants or give the larger ones to good hands. Can you possibly move or give away highly toxic plants in the garden, such as laburnum?

Nevertheless, it’s best not to leave your little one unattended in the garden during the first period and spend ample time with them. A tired puppy surely won’t think about wanting to redesign the garden.

Poisoning in Dogs – Symptoms

You’ve done your best, but your dog has still ingested something toxic? Or you’re not sure if he has taken in poison?
The following symptoms indicate poisoning: apathy, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.

If these symptoms occur very suddenly or if your furry friend also exhibits signs like trembling, staggering, excessive drooling, or loss of orientation, these could be signs of poisoning.

Your dog or puppy must be taken to the vet immediately! Take samples of the vomit or feces and the plant that the dog or puppy has eaten; this will help the vet identify the toxin more quickly.

For many toxins, severe consequences such as circulatory collapse and respiratory paralysis only occur after some time. Use this time to take your dog to the vet because if he has really ingested something poisonous, every minute can make the difference between life and death.

Emergency “Poisoning” in Dogs – What to Do?

In a well-stocked household or dog pharmacy, charcoal tablets are available for such cases. Administer them to your dog as early as possible and then immediately head to the vet. Charcoal tablets bind toxins in the intestines, preventing them from being absorbed into the bloodstream.

Attention – here are two measures you should NOT take:

Education is the Best “Antidote”

You can start playfully introducing your dog to the right behavior in the garden from a young age. The vegetable patch is not a place for digging, and flowers are not meant to be plucked by little dog mouths. Good training is simply the best protection – also against poisonous plants. If your little one starts nibbling, you can deter him with a specific “No!” or “Off!” and a clap of your hands. Call him over – and if he comes obediently, you can reward him with a treat.

More and more dog schools offer special training sessions on the topic of “poison baits.” During the training, your furry friend learns to resist possible temptations during walks and not to accept even the most delicious food offers. Ideally, your furball will only eat things you give him. That’s the best protection against poisonous plants, bait, and other such dangers for your dog.

Alternative: Chew Toys

Prevention is, of course, the best way to ensure that poisoning doesn’t occur in the first place. A good method to make sure the puppy doesn’t nibble on everything (im)possible: provide enough chew toys. He can “legally” work on these with his teeth and won’t look for a substitute in the house or garden. This is particularly important during the teething phase in young dogs.

There are even special chew woods for four-legged stick lovers, such as a well-finger-thick olive tree branch. This satisfies the urge to chew without endangering your dog with toxins.

Avoid Toxic Plants for Dogs – Creating a Dog-Friendly Garden

But what should your dog-friendly garden look like? Which plants are suitable for a garden or an apartment?

There are plenty of trees, shrubs, and flowers that are not toxic to dogs. Deciduous trees like maple, birch, or beech, as well as fruit trees of all kinds (except for grapevines), are well-suited. Want to grow delicious fruits yourself? How about strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and red currants? For shrubs, forsythia, jasmine, and hibiscus are good choices.

If you like it colorful, you can plant roses, lavender, sunflowers, carnations, or daisies. Daisies and dandelions will find their way into your garden on their own. Most of the mentioned plants are not only suitable for your dog but also bee-friendly. This way, you create a garden for everyone!