Christ thorn is toxic for dogs
Euphorbia milii 
The Christ thorn belongs to the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It comes from Madagascar and is kept in Europe as an indoor plant. The Christ thorn is - as the name suggests - a thorny and small shrub with light foliage that can grow up to 1.5 m high. The pink-red flowers with a yellowish centre consist of two so-called bracts. The milky latex typical of spurge plants is particularly poisonous on the plant.
Caution: it is precisely this milky latex that contains a lot of poison. All parts of the Christ thorn are poisonous, but especially the milky white sap.
Christ thorn is also known as:
- crown of thorns
- Christ plant
What should I do if my dog ate Christ thorn?
How toxic is Christ thorn?
| Toxicity: | (toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | All parts of the Christ thorn are poisonous, but especially the milky white sap from the plant. |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | Unknown |
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 Christ thorn
| Plant species: | Shrub, Indoor plant |
| Occurrence: | Indoor |
| Areas: | - |
| Flowering time: | winter, spring, autumn |
| Fruit ripening: | - |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in the case of poisoning with Christ thorn:
- increased salivation
- irritation of the mucous membrane of the mouth
- swelling of the mucous membrane
- shortness of breath
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- abdominal pain
In the case of very severe poisoning, the following symptoms may also occur in addition:
- heart problems
- circulatory problems
- death may occur due to circulatory collapse
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 the case of severe poisoning, the vet may administer infusions, painkillers and antispasmodic medication and give a mucosal protection.
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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