Is Begonia Toxic to Dogs and Cats? (2026)
Begonia spp.
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Quick facts
| Toxic to dogs | Yes |
|---|---|
| Toxic to cats | Yes |
| Toxic to horses | Yes |
| Toxic component | Soluble oxalates, concentrated in the underground tuber |
| Onset of symptoms | Within minutes for oral irritation; more serious with the tuber |
| Indoor / outdoor | both |
If your pet ate this plant
Both lines are staffed 24/7. A consultation fee applies to each. Do not wait for symptoms to appear before calling.
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Symptoms in dogs
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Difficulty swallowing with tuber ingestion
Symptoms in cats
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Difficulty swallowing with tuber ingestion
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What to do
Leaf and flower contact is usually mild; contact a vet if the tuber was dug up and eaten, since it carries the highest oxalate concentration in the plant.
Toxic component and mechanism
The toxic component in Begonia is soluble oxalates, concentrated in the underground tuber.
Part-specific risk: Leaves and flowers are less concentrated in toxins than the tuber.
What makes this plant different
Begonia is sold in well over a thousand cultivated varieties with enormous variation in leaf color and pattern, but every one shares the same soluble-oxalate toxicity concentrated in the underground tuber — the specific cultivar matters far less than whether a pet dug up and ate the tuber versus just nibbling a leaf.
Plant identification
- Scientific name
- Begonia spp.
- Family
- Begoniaceae
- Also known as
- Begonia, Over 1, 000 species and 10, 000 hybrids
- Typically found
- both
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Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Cross-referenced with ASPCA Animal Poison Control