– Is Snake Plant Toxic to Dogs –

Are Snake Plants Really Poisonous To Dogs? (Complete Guide)

If you have dogs or snake plants in your home, there are some facts you should familiarize yourself with before mixing the two. Many popular houseplants have natural defense mechanisms that help to ward off pests and diseases. Snake plants happen to be one of these plants that contain toxins, but does that mean snake plants are toxic to dogs?

Yes- unfortunately snake plants are toxic to dogs. They contain a naturally occurring substance called saponins, which is toxic to your pets if ingested. Deaths from snake plant poisoning are uncommon; however, if your dog does ingest parts of the snake plant, they will feel discomfort and have an irritated stomach.

Is Snake Plant Toxic to Dogs

In this article you can expect to learn:

  • what snake plant poisoning symptoms to look for in your dog,
  • what treatments to apply when your dog is exhibiting symptoms, and
  • how to prevent future snake plant poisonings in your home.

But before we jump into the details of snake plant poisoning, let’s take this opportunity to understand why snake plants are poisonous to our beloved pets.

Are Snake Plants Toxic to Dogs: The Facts

As we have already established, snake plants contain a toxin that can affect your dog called saponins. Let’s take a quick look at what exactly this substance is, and why indoor plants, like snake plants, develop these toxins.

What are saponins, and why do they affect dogs?

Saponins are chemicals produced by the snake plant for self-defense purposes. Snake plants, and many other indoor plants, use toxins as a way to deter animals from eating their fruit and leaves. In fact, saponins also help snake plants defend against some common microbes and fungal diseases.

Snake plants carry saponins throughout the entire plant, including foliage and roots. But the highest concentration of saponins is in the skin of the leaves. Actually, saponins help the snake plant develop the waxy coating on their vertical elongated leaves.

If a dog swallows any part of a snake plant, the saponins will begin irritating the stomach lining and gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, this will create a lot of discomfort for your four-legged friend, and they will begin to exhibit symptoms (more on symptoms in the next section).

Moreover, the sap of the snake plant is also known to cause, skin irritation, swelling and dermatitis. T