Safety verdict
Consulted references classify the plant as toxic or irritating for that pet type.
Pet ingestion lookup
My cat ate Foxglove - what should I do?
Digitalis purpurea
Potentially toxic
Contact your veterinarian or an animal poison-control resource now, especially if any amount was chewed or swallowed.
Verified against ASPCA/provenance audit 2026-05-06 on May 6, 2026.
Signs to watch for
Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, cardiac arrhythmias, tremors, seizures, and collapse.
Escalation note
This plant is highly toxic. Ingestion of any part of the plant can lead to life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances. Contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal poison control center immediately if ingestion is suspected.
First aid at home
Transport to a veterinarian now. Do not induce vomiting at home unless explicitly directed by a poison-control toxicologist — the priority is ECG monitoring and IV access, not home decontamination.
What to watch for
Vomiting and drooling early on, then weakness, collapse, slow or irregular pulse, and tremors. Severe cases progress to cardiac failure, seizures, and death; some cats deteriorate suddenly with little warning between the gut signs and the cardiac signs.
Time window
First signs typically appear within minutes, sometimes up to 1–2 hours. Cardiac effects can develop or worsen over many hours and require monitoring well beyond the initial GI signs.
When to call the vet
Immediately. Call ASPCA Animal Poison Control or Pet Poison Helpline and get to an ER vet — even if your cat looks fine right now, foxglove ingestion needs cardiac monitoring before signs progress.
What this means for your cat
Cats: emergency. Every part of foxglove contains cardiac glycosides — the same class of compound used to make the heart medication digitalis — which directly disrupt the electrolyte balance the heart muscle depends on. Even small ingestions can cause life-threatening arrhythmias.
Sources: ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline.
Source references
Poison-control resources
This page summarizes source-bound plant-safety information and is not veterinary advice.