False helleborine is extremely toxic for dogs
Veratrum album 
The false helleborine is a herbaceous, deciduous plant that reaches a height of up to 1.5 metres and is found especially in the mountains and Alps on nutrient-rich soils.
The small white, greenish-yellow flowers grow in panicles. The hairy yellow-brown capsules contain brown seeds. False helleborine is a perennial plant with large green leaves.
All parts of the false helleborine are very poisonous to dogs. The roots of false helleborine contain the highest concentration of poisonous alkaloids.
False helleborine is also known as:
- white hellebore
- European white hellebore
- white veratrum
What should I do if my dog ate False helleborine?
How toxic is False helleborine?
| Toxicity: | (extremely toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | All parts of the false helleborine are very poisonous to dogs. The roots of false helleborine contain the highest concentration of poisonous alkaloids. |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | Propafenone |
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 False helleborine
| Plant species: | herbs |
| Occurrence: | The Alps |
| Areas: | Europe |
| Flowering time: | summer |
| Fruit ripening: | summer, autumn |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur with false helleborine poisoning:
- increased salivation
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach pain
- diarrhoea
- thirst
- burning and numbness in the mouth
- slow heartbeat
- palpitations
- drop in blood pressure
- fever
- movement disorders
- numbness
- possibly even coma
- shortness of breath
- death may occur due to cardiac arrest, respiratory paralysis or circulatory paralysis
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.
Furthermore, the vet can administer the antidote propafenone, keep the airways clear and, if necessary, administer artificial respiration to the dog. Infusions and medication can be used to try to stabilise the circulation and heartbeat.
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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