Are laurels poisonous to dogs?

Updated 01/09/2023

The laurel shrub is a common background hedge in gardens around the world. While we know laurel plants are pretty popular amongst us humans, are they safe for us pet parents to have in our gardens, or are laurels poisonous to dogs? Let’s find out.

Are laurels poisonous to dogs?

So, is laurel toxic to dogs? Unfortunately yes - very much so. If your pooch has ingested any part of the plant, you should get to a vet immediately. Laurel plants contain a neurotoxin called grayanotoxin. These can interfere with nerve and skeletal functioning, as well as the healthy movement of the heart muscle.

And are laurel berries poisonous to dogs? Certainly - make sure you keep your laurel plant well out of your pup’s reach - the last thing you want is ingestion of these toxin-filled berries. And what about other variations of laurel berries? Can dogs eat cherry laurel berries? Again, it’s a big no on this one - all parts of laurel plants are toxic to dogs, so make sure you keep your pup away from laurel plants and berries.

Laurel poisoning in dogs

So, now you know to steer clear of laurel plants, let’s find out more about laurel poisoning in dogs. But just one more thing before we do that - if you are reading this blog because your pup has just eaten any part of the laurel plant, you should stop reading now, and get them to a vet as a matter of emergency.

Symptoms

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive drooling
• Weakness
• Abnormal heart rate and rhythms
• Lethargy
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Perspiration
• Tremors
• Temporary blindness - seen as bumping into walls/furniture
• Seizures

Diagnosis

If possible, take along a sample of the plant your pup ingested to the vet - identifying the plant will help your vet make a faster, more accurate diagnosis. Your vet will give your pup a full health check, and take blood and urine samples to see how badly the toxins have affected their body systems. This is an important step before starting treatments for laurel toxicity

Treatments

The treatments your pup undergoes will depend on how long ago the plant was ingested and the severity of their toxicity symptoms so far. Either way, your vet will know the best way to treat your poorly pup.

If your pup has just eaten, or eaten within the last 1-3 hours, your vet will make your dog sick to remove any laurel still sitting in the stomach. If it has been much longer than this, because of how toxic laurel is, your vet will anesthetize your pup and pass a gastric tube to flush out the stomach contents and give a medication called activated charcoal to help reduce signs of toxicity. 

Your pup will be given intravenous fluids to help prevent dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea, and to support kidney function when flushing out toxins. In very severe cases, your dog may need a machine to breathe from if they have collapsed or started to have seizures. 

Meet our veterinary expert, Corinne

This article has been checked by veterinarian Corinne Wigfall BVMBVS(Hons) BVMedSci(Hons). Corinne is originally from Wales and moved to New Zealand after graduating university. She started her career with a university based equine internship and moved onto mixed and small animal practice. Currently she splits her time between online tele triage and working in an after hours vet clinic.

Other plants that are poisonous to dogs

If you’ve got a seriously curious pup at home who can’t stop themselves from nibbling, sniffing and having a taste of most objects (including plants) around them, it’s vital you’re super vigilant when on walkies, and when choosing what to plant in your garden. Unfortunately, many of the plants and flowers we humans decorate our homes and houses with contain poisonous toxins for dogs, so, get up to date on the plants poisonous to dogs starting with the list below.

• Lilies
• Aloe vera
• Geraniums
• Lupine
• Wisteria