Tobacco is highly toxic for dogs
Nicotiana tabacum 
The tobacco plant is a cultivated plant that actually originates from tropical and subtropical climates, but can also thrive in Europe. It belongs to the nightshade family. There are many different varieties and they are cultivated especially as smoking tobacco or planted in gardens as ornamental tobacco.
The herbaceous plant can reach a height of 2 metres and has dark green large leaves on yellowish-brown stems. The flowers are bell-shaped small funnels in pink to red. The brown seeds grow in capsules.
All parts of the tobacco plant are very poisonous to dogs. They contain nicotine, which is very toxic for dogs, and other poisons. Cigarettes are a great danger for dogs, as the tobacco they contain is of course also very toxic for dogs.
Tobacco is also known as:
- cultivated tobacco
What should I do if my dog ate Tobacco?
How toxic is Tobacco?
| Toxicity: | (highly toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | All parts of the tobacco plant are very poisonous. |
| 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 Tobacco
| Plant species: | herbs |
| Occurrence: | Fields and farmland, Unbuilt land, Gardens |
| Areas: | Western Europe |
| Flowering time: | summer, autumn |
| Fruit ripening: | summer, autumn |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in case of poisoning with the tobacco plant:
- increased salivation
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach pain
- diarrhoea
- cramps
- movement disorders
- increased defecation and urination
- palpitations and heart problems
- signs of paralysis
- shortness of breath
- 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, depending on the degree of poisoning, the vet can administer infusions and give the animal artificial respiration.
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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