Goldenseal is a plant that is toxic to dogs and cats. The toxicity is caused by the alkaloid berberine in the plant. Symptoms occur when an amount of the plant larger than one ounce is ingested. The toxicity is usually mild and can be controlled by administering activated charcoal. If your pet has ingested goldenseal, please seek veterinary help right away.
What is Goldenseal?
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is the common name for the plant Hydrastis, which is native to North America. The name comes from goldenseal because it smells (and sometimes tastes) like the medicine goldenseal. The name hydrastis comes from the Latin word, which means bitter. This plant is also known by several other common names, including blue root, bluets, canadine root, colic root, Indian root, and stinking root.