Monkshood is extremely toxic for dogs
Aconitum napellus 
Monkshood is a perennial flowering shrub that can reach a height of up to 1.5 metres. It belongs to the buttercup family. The fingered leaves are dark green, numerous full flowers form a large flower cluster at the end of the flower stalk. The flowers are remarkably dark blue to purple in colour. The fruits are small brown-black seeds.
Monkshood grows in meadows and field margins, but is also very popular as a beautiful perennial flower for shady corners in gardens. It resembles the sun-hungry Alpine delphinium.
But beware: all parts of the monkshood are very poisonous, especially the roots and seeds. They contain the diterpene alkaloid, which is poisonous to dogs, in particularly high concentrations. The prognosis in case of poisoning is rather poor, which is why very fast action is necessary.
Monkshood is also known as:
- aconite
- Venus' chariot
- wolfsbane
What should I do if my dog ate Monkshood?
How toxic is Monkshood?
| Toxicity: | (extremely toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | All parts of monkshood are very poisonous, but especially the root and the seeds. |
| 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 Monkshood
| Plant species: | flower, Garden and wild plant, perennial |
| Occurrence: | Gardens, Meadows |
| Areas: | Europe |
| Flowering time: | summer, autumn |
| Fruit ripening: | - |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in case of monkshood poisoning:
- irritation such as burning or numbness in the oral cavity
- increased salivation
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- stomach pain
- decreased heartbeat
- drop in blood pressure
- dilated pupils, blurred vision
- impaired movement
- cramps
- shortness of breath
- coma
- death can occur through cardiac arrest or respiratory 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 an antidote and stabilise the vital functions through infusions and the administration of further medication and artificial respiration if necessary.
More information on dog poisonings can be found here:
Further poisonous plants from A to Z
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