Is Catsear Toxic to Dogs and Cats? (2026)
Hypochaeris radicata
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Quick facts
| Toxic to dogs | No |
|---|---|
| Toxic to cats | No |
| Toxic to horses | Yes |
| Toxic component | Unidentified compound linked to a rare neurological condition in horses with chronic grazing ("Australian stringhalt") |
| Onset of symptoms | Develops after weeks of continuous grazing — not a single-exposure risk |
| 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 horses
- Exaggerated hindlimb gait (stringhalt) with prolonged grazing exposure
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What to do
This is a chronic grazing-exposure condition in horses, not an acute poisoning, and is not established as a dog or cat hazard.
Toxic component and mechanism
The toxic component in Catsear is unidentified compound linked to a rare neurological condition in horses with chronic grazing ("australian stringhalt").
What makes this plant different
Catsear causes a specific, irreversible gait abnormality in horses called stringhalt after weeks of grazing exposure — this is a fundamentally different risk profile from acute poisoning, and the plant is not considered a hazard to dogs or cats at all.
Plant identification
- Scientific name
- Hypochaeris radicata
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Also known as
- Catsear, Flatweed, Cat's Ear, False Dandelion
- Typically found
- outdoor
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Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Cross-referenced with ASPCA Animal Poison Control