Oleander is extremely toxic for dogs
Nerium oleander 
The oleander belongs to the Apocynaceae family. It is an evergreen shrub with a woody trunk that can reach a height of 6 m in warm climates.
The dark green leaves are leathery and narrow. The flowers are borne in so-called umbels and they can be white, pink or purple and rarely yellowish. The wild species of oleander are mostly pink, which is also the most common flower colour. The brown seeds of the oleander form in pod-like capsules.
The oleander comes from the Mediterranean region, where it grows in large shrubs both wild and in gardens.
But be careful: all parts of the oleander are very poisonous for dogs. It contains oleandrin, which is poisonous to dogs. The prognosis for oleander poisoning is unfortunately poor, so it is particularly important to act quickly if you suspect your dog has been poisoned by oleander.
Oleander is also known as:
- nerium
What should I do if my dog ate Oleander?
How toxic is Oleander?
| Toxicity: | (extremely toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | All parts of the oleander are very poisonous for dogs |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | Digitalis |
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 Oleander
| Plant species: | Shrub |
| Occurrence: | - |
| Areas: | Central Europe |
| Flowering time: | summer, autumn |
| Fruit ripening: | - |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in case of poisoning with oleander:
- nausea
- increased salivation
- vomiting
- stomach pain
- diarrhoea
- movement disorders
- disturbances of consciousness
- coma
- dilated pupils
- heart problems
- circulatory collapse
- death may occur due to cardiac arrest
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 symptoms, the veterinarian may also give medication to ease heart discomfort if the poisoning is more severe.
More information on dog poisonings can be found here:
Preventing, identifying and treating poisoning in dogs
Further poisonous plants from A to Z
DigiDogs in other languages and countries DeutschlandGreat BritainUnited StatesPolska
Copyright © 2023 DigiDogs, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Über uns -
Imprint -
Privacy Policy