Bonsai

Severity scale:

This toxin is considered to be a very high risk and your pet should be evaluated as an emergency at your nearest veterinary hospital. You may want to contact whiskerDocs or the hospital if your pet has recently ingested this toxin to see if there are additional steps you need to take before leaving home.

Bonsais are miniature trees, and some trees are extremely toxic to dogs and cats. Please speak with your greenhouse advisor on the toxicity of the different species of miniature trees, or better yet, choose another plant if you have pets. Cycad and Sago palms are cultivated as bonsais and contain cycasin, a toxin that causes liver failure. Other plants grown as bonsais include azaleas, boxwoods, cherry, ficus, jade and wisteria, all of which are highly toxic to pets as well.

Other names:

toxic bonsai, bonsai tree, miniature tree, miniature varieties of trees such as Cycad, Sago palms, azaleas, boxwoods, cherry, ficus, jade and wisteria

Toxic to:

Dogs and Cats

Part of plant:

Varies depending on species, but all parts should generally be considered a risk, including leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds/fruit

Symptoms:

Signs of toxicity include neurologic signs like twitching, bad coordination, weakness, inability to focus or respiratory distress.

Back to toxins

Toxins

Bonsai