Chives

Yes, chives are toxic to cats. They belong to the Allium family and contain compounds that cause oxidative damage to red blood cells, which can lead to hemolytic anemia. All parts of the plant are dangerous.

Early signs — typically within a few hours — include vomiting, drooling, and decreased appetite. Over the following hours to days, watch for pale gums, weakness, lethargy, an elevated heart rate, panting, and dark or bloody urine. Anemia signs can lag the ingestion by a day or more and are easy to miss.

Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away — even a small ingestion warrants an immediate call. Do not wait for symptoms to appear, since anemia can develop days after the cat ate the plant.

According to ASPCA data, Heinz body changes in red blood cells can appear within 24 hours of ingestion, but clinical anemia signs — pale gums, weakness, rapid heart rate — may take several days to become visible. GI upset typically starts within a few hours and is often the first warning sign.

Yes, chives are toxic to dogs. They belong to the onion family and contain N-propyl disulfide, a compound that damages red blood cells and can lead to hemolytic anemia. Even small amounts can cause gastrointestinal upset, and repeated or large ingestions carry serious risk.

Early signs include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, typically appearing within a few hours. In the days that follow, watch for pale gums, weakness, rapid heart rate, panting, exercise intolerance, and dark or bloody urine — these indicate developing anemia. GI signs come first; the blood-cell damage can lag by a day or more.

Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away — don't wait for symptoms to appear. Clinical anemia can lag the ingestion by several days, so early intervention matters. Small dogs face higher risk from the same amount as a larger dog.

N-propyl disulfide oxidizes hemoglobin inside red blood cells, causing the formation of Heinz bodies — abnormal protein clumps that mark cells for destruction by the immune system. ASPCA notes these cellular changes can appear within 24 hours of ingestion, but the resulting anemia may not show clinical signs for several days after eating chives.