Easter Lily

Yes, Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum) are extremely toxic to cats. Even small amounts — a chewed leaf, a bitten flower, a sip of vase water, or pollen licked off fur — can cause acute kidney failure and death.

Early signs appear within 0–12 hours and include vomiting, drooling, lethargy, and loss of appetite. As kidney injury develops over 24–72 hours, you may see increased thirst and urination, followed by reduced or absent urination if the kidneys begin to fail.

Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately — do not wait for symptoms to appear. Aggressive treatment within 18 hours dramatically improves survival odds; delay beyond that window is often fatal.

There is no safe amount. Ingestion of even a small part of the plant — including the leaves, petals, stamens, or water from the vase — is considered a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate veterinary intervention.

Easter Lily is classified as uncertain for dogs — unlike cats, for whom it causes severe kidney failure, dogs are not known to experience that life-threatening reaction. Ingestion may cause mild gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting or diarrhea, but serious toxicity is not well documented for dogs.

The main signs to watch for are mild digestive irritation: vomiting, diarrhea, or a temporary loss of appetite after chewing the leaves, stems, or flowers. These signs typically reflect general plant-material GI irritation and are expected to resolve within a day. Older dogs or those with pre-existing GI conditions may react more strongly.

Monitor your dog for vomiting, diarrhea, or refusal to eat. Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if digestive symptoms persist for more than a few hours, if your dog ate a large quantity of the plant, or if you see signs of blockage such as repeated unproductive retching.

Exact timing is not well documented for dogs. Because the concern is general plant-material GI irritation rather than a specific systemic toxin, signs typically appear within a few hours of ingestion and resolve with supportive care within about a day. The severe, rapid-onset kidney toxicity seen in cats is not expected in dogs.