Tree Tobacco

Yes, tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) is highly toxic to cats. It contains pyridine alkaloids, specifically anabasine, and ingestion of any part of the plant can be dangerous.

Early signs include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and a brief period of agitation or hyperexcitability. This can progress to depression, weakness, incoordination, tremors, paralysis, abnormal heart rate, and respiratory distress in severe cases.

Call a veterinarian or poison control immediately — do not wait to see if symptoms develop. Get to an emergency veterinary clinic and bring a sample of the plant if possible. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.

Exact onset timing is not documented in the ASPCA entry for this plant, but because the toxic principle is an anabasine alkaloid similar in action to nicotine, signs are generally rapid in onset. This is why immediate veterinary care matters more than waiting to observe whether symptoms develop.

Yes, tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) is highly toxic to dogs. It contains potent pyridine alkaloids, specifically anabasine, that affect the nervous system. Even small ingestions warrant immediate veterinary attention.

Expect excessive drooling and vomiting first, often with a brief excitable phase — restlessness and fast breathing — that quickly shifts to depression, weakness, and stumbling. Severe ingestions can progress to tremors, seizures, paralysis, and respiratory failure.

Call a vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately and head to the nearest emergency clinic. Do not wait to see if symptoms develop — nicotine-driven plant toxicity is generally rapid in onset, and the course can change quickly even if your dog looks fine right after exposure.

Tree tobacco contains anabasine, a pyridine alkaloid similar in action to nicotine. It acts on the nervous system and can cause a cascade of effects from gastrointestinal distress to neuromuscular failure, which is why the plant is considered a high-severity poisoning risk.