Plants That Cause Diarrhea in Dogs

A wide range of plants can cause diarrhea in dogs but that does not mean they will not induce other symptoms for the dogs that can include vomiting, depression, tremors, convulsions, shock, arrhythmias, and in some cases death. Many of the plants that can cause diarrhea are common plants that your dog may encounter.

  1. Bulbs, Flowering Plants and Perennials

    • In some cases plants can cause diarrhea and vomiting (and sometimes tremors, hypotension and convulsions) before they are even planted into the ground. These bulbs include autumn crocuses, amaryllis, daffodils, gladiolas, hyacinths, irises, lilies of the valley, narcissus and tulips. Keep your pet away from where you store such bulbs.

      Some blooming plants can also upset your dog's stomach. These include plants from families such as kalanchoe, hydrangea and cyclamen. Each family of plants has many varieties, so watch out for any plants with these names. Cyclamens are particularly deadly.

      Perennials can also cause issues for your pet. The plant families in this category to be wary of include nightshade, Christmas rose, fox glove, morning glory, tomato plant greenery, flamingo plant and onion.

    Vines and Ferns

    • With vines, the leaves are going to be more hazardous to your dog than the fruit or berries they produce.

      These vines include European bittersweet, American bittersweet, branching ivy, English ivy, Hahn's ivy, glacier ivy and needlepoint ivy. With ferns, watch for berries as they are highly toxic and most gardeners will grow these in elevated areas. Keep an eye out for the fern varieties asparagus, emerald, lace and plumosa.

    Trees and Shrubs

    • A few tree families can cause diarrhea. They include avocado, Buddhist pine and Chinaberry. Typically the berries can cause the most discomfort for your pet. The same goes with shrubs and you will want to watch out for the following families: American mistletoe, cycads, heavenly bamboo, holly, Jerusalem cherry, oleander, precatory bean, rhododendron, saddle leaf philodendron, sago palm and yucca.

    Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables

    • Many fruits, nuts and vegetables can also cause diarrhea for dogs depending on size of your pet and the amount ingested. These include almonds, apricots, balsalm pears, castor beans, garlic, grapes or raisins, Indian turnips, Japanese plums, mock oranges, soapberries and wild or ground cherries. Additionally, the pits in fruits like peaches and cherries can cause a variety of issues so make sure to avoid them. There are many other plants and foods that may not agree with your dog so make sure you do some research if you are new to owning a canine so you aren't in for nasty surprises. Depending on the size of your dog and the breed it can change what it may be sensitive to.