Cyclamen

Yes, cyclamen is toxic to cats. It contains triterpenoid saponins concentrated in the roots (tubers), and ingestion can cause excessive drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. Tuber ingestion carries a more serious risk of heart rhythm abnormalities or seizures.

After nibbling leaves or flowers, a cat typically shows drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite within a few hours. If a cat chews a tuber — where toxins are most concentrated — watch for weakness, staggering, collapse, or seizures, which are signs of a more serious reaction.

Move your cat away from the plant and wipe out any plant fragments from the mouth. You can rinse the mouth with water to reduce irritation and withhold food and water for a few hours to let the GI tract settle — but do not induce vomiting. Call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435, and treat any tuber ingestion as an emergency.

The tubers (underground roots) are the most dangerous part, as triterpenoid saponins are most concentrated there. Leaf or flower nibbles typically cause mild, self-limiting GI upset, but chewing a tuber can trigger heart rhythm abnormalities or seizures and warrants an immediate call to your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435.

Yes, cyclamen is toxic to dogs. It contains triterpenoid saponins that can cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. The tubers have the highest concentration of toxins and can cause serious systemic effects including heart-rhythm abnormalities, weakness, and seizures.

After eating cyclamen leaves or flowers, expect drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea — usually within a few hours, typically resolving within 24 hours. If your dog dug up and chewed a tuber, watch for more severe signs: heart-rhythm abnormalities, weakness, collapse, or seizure-like behavior on top of the GI upset.

Move the dog away from the plant, wipe any visible plant material from its mouth, and offer water. Do not induce vomiting at home. Call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately — especially if your dog chewed a tuber, which should be treated as an emergency.

The tubers (the underground root bulb) contain the highest concentration of triterpenoid saponins and pose the greatest danger — tuber ingestion can cause heart-rhythm abnormalities, weakness, and collapse in addition to GI signs. Leaves and flowers are less concentrated but still toxic enough to cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea.