Safety verdict
Consulted references classify the plant as toxic or irritating for that pet type.
Pet ingestion lookup
My dog ate Lovage - what should I do?
Levisticum officinale
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
Skin irritation, redness, and potential digestive distress.
Escalation note
Contact with the plant may cause skin reactions; ingestion may lead to stomach upset. Consult a veterinarian if you suspect your dog has eaten any part of the plant.
What to watch for
Vomiting, soft stools, drooling, and reduced appetite are the most likely signs. Skin contact with crushed leaves can leave red, itchy patches. Like other carrot-family plants, lovage has been linked to sun-sensitivity in livestock, though dog-specific evidence is thin.
Time window
GI signs typically appear within hours of ingestion and resolve within a day; the ASPCA does not give a documented recovery window for lovage in dogs.
When to call the vet
Call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea lasts beyond a few hours, your dog seems painful in the belly or unusually flat, or skin irritation worsens or spreads.
What this means for your dog
Dogs should not chew on lovage. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs because of volatile oils — especially phthalide lactones — which produce digestive upset and skin irritation. Garden nibbles usually cause discomfort rather than serious illness, but reactions can be more pronounced with the larger volumes a dog might eat.
Sources: ASPCA (no first-aid guidance).
Source references
Poison-control resources
This page summarizes source-bound plant-safety information and is not veterinary advice.