Is Foxglove Toxic to Dogs and Cats? (2026)
Digitalis purpurea
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Quick facts
| Toxic to dogs | Yes |
|---|---|
| Toxic to cats | Yes |
| Toxic to horses | Yes |
| Toxic component | Cardiac glycosides (digoxin-like compounds) |
| Onset of symptoms | Within a few hours |
| 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
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Weakness
- Collapse
Symptoms in cats
- Vomiting
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Weakness
- Collapse
Symptoms in horses
- Colic
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Sudden death
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What to do
Treat as a life-threatening emergency and get to a veterinarian immediately, even from a small amount. Cardiac monitoring and rapid decontamination significantly improve survival; delay is the leading cause of fatal outcomes.
Toxic component and mechanism
The toxic component in Foxglove is cardiac glycosides (digoxin-like compounds).
What makes this plant different
Foxglove's cardiac glycosides are the same chemical family used to derive digoxin, a real heart medication — meaning the plant's toxic mechanism is well-characterized in human medicine, which is part of why veterinary treatment protocols for foxglove poisoning are relatively well established despite how rare clinical cases are.
Plant identification
- Scientific name
- Digitalis purpurea
- Family
- Scrophalariaceae
- Also known as
- Foxglove
- Typically found
- both
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Last verified: July 2, 2026 · Cross-referenced with ASPCA Animal Poison Control