You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Daffodils first appear in our gardens during the Spring....but these beautiful plants can be highly dangerous to animals, especially dogs.

Dogs can be indiscriminate eaters, and are often seen eating grass and garden plants. Whilst most plants are not toxic some, such as the Daffodil, can be lethal.

All parts of the daffodil plant (Narcissus poeticus) which is a member of the lily family (Amaryllidaceae) are toxic - especially the bulb. If a dog eats or chews the bulbs, leaves or the flowers it can develop signs of poisoning, including :

• Diarrhoea 
• Vomiting
• Staggering
• Collapse
• Unconsciousness
• Coma
• Death in a few hours

The most serious signs are only seen if the dog has eaten a large amount but the LD50 (dose at which 50% of animals will die) for dogs is 15g of Daffodil bulbs ...which is not a lot.

The toxins contained in Daffodils are alkaloids including galanthamine and lycorine and there is no specific antidote. 

Updated October 2013