Kalanchoe in Pets

Kalanchoe contains heart glycosides. Most pets only vomit, but large amounts can affect heart rhythm. See what to watch for and what to tell your vet.

What It Is

Kalanchoes are succulent houseplants with fleshy leaves and clusters of bright flowers, plus 'mother of thousands' types that grow plantlets along their leaf edges. They contain bufadienolides, heart glycosides chemically similar to toad toxins.

Where Pets Come Across It

Potted flowering kalanchoes sold in supermarkets, windowsill succulents and outdoor plantings in warm climates. Dogs and cats chew the fleshy leaves.

Which Animals Are Affected

Dogs, cats, birds and livestock. Pet Poison Helpline notes that most pets show only stomach upset, though large amounts can affect the heart.

Published Toxic Dose

No owner-usable mg/kg threshold is published; glycoside content varies by species and plant part, with flowers often richest. For that reason the calculator reports no risk level.

Signs and How Soon They Appear

Vomiting and diarrhoea are most common, usually within a few hours. Pet Poison Helpline notes that if a large amount is eaten there may be changes in heart rate and rhythm, weakness and collapse, though abnormal heart rhythm is rare.

What to Do Right Now

Call your vet or a poison line, especially if a lot was eaten, flowers were eaten, or your pet seems weak. Bring a sample. Do not induce vomiting at home.

Kalanchoe varieties and the 'mother of thousands'

Flowering kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) is sold in supermarkets with bright red, orange, yellow or pink flower clusters. Other kinds include the panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa), with fuzzy grey leaves, and 'mother of thousands' or 'chandelier plant', which drop tiny plantlets from their leaf edges. Those plantlets root wherever they land, so they end up in other pots and on floors where pets can eat them. Livestock in Australia and South Africa have died after grazing wild kalanchoe, which shows the toxins can be serious in quantity. For pets, the practical steps are to keep flowering plants out of reach, collect fallen plantlets and dead flowers, and choose a non-toxic succulent such as Haworthia if your pet is a determined chewer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and References

• Pet Poison Helpline: Kalanchoe
• ASPCA: Kalanchoe
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals

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