Cherry laurel is highly toxic for dogs
Prunus laurocerasus 
The cherry laurel is an evergreen shrub that is very popular as a hedge in gardens and parks. However, it provides little food for native insects and birds. It has leathery leaves, the small flowers are white and the ripe berries are black.
All parts of the cherry laurel are very poisonous to dogs, including the leaves and berries. Cherry laurel contains hydrogen cyanide and poisonous glycosides.
Cherry laurel is also known as:
- common laurel
- English laurel
What should I do if my dog ate Cherry laurel?
How toxic is Cherry laurel?
| Toxicity: | (highly toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | All parts of the cherry laurel are very poisonous to dogs, including the leaves and berries. |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | In case of hydrogen cyanide poisoning: sodium nitrite, sodium thiosulphate or dimethylaminophenol. |
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 Cherry laurel
| Plant species: | Shrub |
| Occurrence: | Gardens, Parks |
| Areas: | Europe |
| Flowering time: | spring |
| Fruit ripening: | summer, autumn |
Symptoms
The following poisoning symptoms can occur with the cherry laurel:
- abdominal pain
- diarrhoea
- shortness of breath
- reddening of the mucous membranes
- palpitations
- muscle cramps
- coma
- death occurs through respiratory paralysis, which can happen within seconds if the poisoning is very severe
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.
In case of hydrogen cyanide poisoning, the vet can administer an antidote, e.g. in the form of sodium nitrite. To alleviate the symptoms, the vet can administer artificial respiration or infusions.
More information on dog poisonings can be found here:
Further poisonous plants from A to Z
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