Is Boxwood Toxic to Dogs and Cats? (2026)
Buxus spp.
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Quick facts
| Toxic to dogs | Yes |
|---|---|
| Toxic to cats | Yes |
| Toxic to horses | Yes |
| Toxic component | Steroidal alkaloids |
| Onset of symptoms | Within a few hours |
| Indoor / outdoor | outdoor |
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
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Drooling
- Colic-like abdominal pain
Symptoms in cats
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Drooling
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What to do
Contact a vet for significant ingestion. Boxwood is an extremely common hedge and topiary plant, making unsupervised backyard exposure more likely than for less ubiquitous ornamentals.
Toxic component and mechanism
The toxic component in Boxwood is steroidal alkaloids.
What makes this plant different
Boxwood's popularity as a topiary and hedge plant, prized specifically for tolerating heavy pruning into geometric shapes, means it surrounds an enormous number of homes and gardens — that ubiquity makes it one of the more commonly encountered moderate-toxicity plants simply due to how often it's planted.
Plant identification
- Scientific name
- Buxus spp.
- Family
- Buxaceae
- Also known as
- Boxwood
- Typically found
- outdoor
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Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Cross-referenced with ASPCA Animal Poison Control