Is Baby’s Breath poisonous to dogs and cats?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet today

Baby’s Breath is poisonous to dogs and cats – call your vet today for advice if your pet has eaten any of it. It contains gyposenin, a saponin that may irritate the gastrointestinal tract after ingestion.

  • Dogs Call a vet today
  • Cats Call a vet today

What to do right now

  1. Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
  2. Note which plant, which part, how much and when.
  3. Take a photo or a piece of the plant with you.
  4. Remove what is left and move the plant out of reach.
  5. Keep your pet calm.

Don't

  • Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.
  • Do not give any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Baby’s Breath and other Gypsophila species contain gyposenin, a saponin, which may cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract following ingestion.[1]

Signs to watch for

  • vomiting
  • loss of appetite
  • diarrhea
  • lethargy
Scientific name
Gypsophila

What the experts say

“Baby’s Breath and other Gypsophila species plants contain gyposenin, a saponin, which may cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract following ingestion. Common signs to watch for: Vomiting Anorexia Diarrhea Lethargy”

— Pet Poison Helpline [1]
If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

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Common questions

What signs should I watch for?

Watch for vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea and lethargy.[1]

What does Baby’s Breath contain?

Baby’s Breath and other Gypsophila species contain gyposenin, a saponin that may cause gastrointestinal irritation after ingestion.[1]

Sources

  1. Pet Poison Helpline

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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