Ragwort is highly toxic for dogs
Senecio jacobaea 
Ragwort has basically been native to Europe for a long time and its toxicity is also well known. However, it seems to have become more widespread recently and is a danger for humans as well as animals. Especially on pastures, ragwort is feared by livestock. Although most animals do not eat it because of the bitter substances, it is a serious danger in hay. Ragwort is a perennial, deciduous perennial that can reach between 30-100 cm in height. The tall inflorescences with about 15 attractive yellow flowers develop from a rosette of leaves close to the ground.
The entire ragwort is poisonous, but especially the flowers and the young plants. The toxins remain in the hay, i.e. in dried form. The alkaloids contained in ragwort are very toxic to dogs and can cause severe liver damage. The nasty thing about this is that the poisoning is slow, but with frequent consumption the poison accumulates in the body and can severely damage the liver.
Ragwort is also known as:
- common ragwort
- stinking willie
- tansy ragwort
- benweed
- St. James-wort
- stinking nanny/ninny/willy
- staggerwort
- dog standard
- cankerwort
- stammerwort
- tansy ragwort
What should I do if my dog ate Ragwort?
How toxic is Ragwort?
| Toxicity: | (highly toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | The entire ragwort is poisonous, but especially the flowers and the young plants. |
| 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 Ragwort
| Plant species: | herbs |
| Occurrence: | Gardens, Meadows |
| Areas: | Europe |
| Flowering time: | summer, autumn |
| Fruit ripening: | - |
Symptoms
In cases of ragwort poisoning, the symptoms often appear gradually. So-called chronic poisoning, caused by permanent ingesting, is also common. Although this is rather rare in dogs, it is an issue in cows, for example.
The following symptoms can occur in dogs when poisoned with ragwort:
- faintness
- abdominal pain
- lack of appetite
- yellowing of the mucous membranes
- accumulation of fluid
- palpitations
- death may occur due to liver failure
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, depending on the degree of poisoning, the vet may give medication to protect the liver.
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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