Bracken is extremely toxic for dogs
Pteridium aquilinum 
The bracken usually grows in deciduous and coniferous forests or on forest edges. With a height of up to 2 metres, it is one of the largest native fern species. The bracken does not grow in a rosette like the male fern. A characteristic feature of the bracken is that the leaf margins are curled.
All parts of the bracken are very poisonous to dogs, but especially the leaves and spores. It can easily be confused with other fern species that are less toxic to dogs. Bracken contains hydrogen cyanide, as well as saponides and enzymes that can cause severe gastrointestinal problems and central nervous system disorders in dogs.
Bracken is also known as:
- brake
- common bracken
- eagle fern
What should I do if my dog ate Bracken?
How toxic is Bracken?
| Toxicity: | (extremely toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | The entire fern is poisonous, especially the leaves and spores. |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | Vitamin B1 |
If your dog shows symptoms of poisoning, it is always an emergency! Time is critical for your dog's life. You should immediately call your vet or the animal emergency services and make sure that a vet is on site and then go there immediately. For the treatment, it helps the vet a lot to know what your dog has ingested.
Occurrence Bracken
| Plant species: | fern |
| Occurrence: | Forests |
| Areas: | Europe |
| Flowering time: | - |
| Fruit ripening: | summer, autumn |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in case of poisoning with bracken:
- excessive salivation
- nausea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- diarrhoea
- apathy
- muscle cramps
- disturbed consciousness
- eye tremor
- dilated pupils
- faintness
- tremor
- blood in faeces and urine
- death is possible
Treatment
The vet will always try to remove the ingested poison from the body and alleviate the specific symptoms of poisoning.
There are different methods to remove the poison from the body:
1. ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: Activated charcoal can absorb toxins. If possible, it should be administered within 2 hours after ingestion of the poison, so that the toxin does not enter the bloodstream.
2. LAXATIVES: The vet may combine the administration of activated charcoal with a laxative.
3. VOMITING: The vet can also induce vomiting using medication to remove the toxin from the body.
To alleviate the symptoms, the vet can give infusions or administer vitamin B1 as an antidote. He will also give antispasmodic medication.
More information on dog poisonings can be found here:
Preventing, identifying and treating poisoning in dogs
Further poisonous plants from A to Z
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