Is Milkweed poisonous to dogs or cats?

Milkweed

  • Scientific Name: Asclepias sp.
  • Also Known As: Milkweed, butterfly weed
  • Is It Toxic? Yes
  • Toxins: Cardenolides; 0.05%-2% of animal’s body weight in plant material can be fatal
  • Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, ataxia, weakness, dilated pupils, convulsions, respiratory paralysis, death
  • Toxic Parts:
  • General:

Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) is a plant that is poisonous to dogs and cats. The toxin in this plant produces clinical signs ranging from vomiting, diarrhea, ataxia, weakness, dilated pupils, convulsions, respiratory paralysis, and death if it is ingested by animals.

What is Milkweed?

Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) is a wildflowers plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is common in the eastern United States and western Canada. It typically grows in the tallgrass prairies and eastern deciduous forests, as well as along roadsides, rivers, and streams, in dry, sunny woodlands, and in wastelands. Milkweed contains toxic saponins, and is one of the more common plants used to poison livestock.