Is elephant ear poisonous to dogs and cats?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet today

Elephant ear is poisonous to dogs and cats – call your vet today for advice if your pet has eaten any of it. Chewing or biting it releases crystals that can irritate the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.

  • 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 your pet ate or chewed it.
  3. Take a photo or a piece of the plant with you.
  4. Remove what is left and move the plant out of reach.

Don't

  • Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to.
  • Do not give any human medicine.
  • Do not leave the plant where your pet can reach it.

Why it can be dangerous

Elephant ear plants in the Araceae family contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate the mouth and gastrointestinal tract when the plant is chewed or bitten.[1]

Signs to watch for

  • Vomiting
  • Drooling
Scientific name
Araceae
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 happens when a pet chews elephant ear?

Chewing or biting elephant ear releases insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that can irritate the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.[1]

Is elephant ear poisonous to cats as well as dogs?

Elephant ear is listed as poisonous to both cats and dogs.

What signs are listed for cats and dogs?

Vomiting and drooling are listed for both cats and dogs.

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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