Tulip and daffodil (narcissus) bulbs in Pets

Tulip and daffodil bulbs hold far more toxin than leaves or flowers. Learn the difference between tulipalins and narcissus alkaloids, the signs to watch and what to tell your vet.

What It Is

Spring bulbs carry the highest concentration of their plants' toxins. Tulips contain tulipalins, irritant lactones concentrated in the bulb. Daffodils and other narcissi contain lycorine and related alkaloids, which cause vomiting and, in large amounts, heart and breathing effects, along with oxalate crystals in the bulb's outer layers.

Where Pets Come Across It

Bulbs being planted or stored in sheds in autumn, freshly planted beds that dogs dig up, and potted spring bulbs indoors. Water from vases of cut daffodils can also contain the alkaloids.

Which Animals Are Affected

Dogs, especially diggers. Cats occasionally chew leaves or flowers. Horses and livestock can be affected.

Published Toxic Dose

No reliable mg/kg threshold is published for pets. Poison centres generally report mild stomach upset after leaves or flowers, and more serious signs mainly after a dog eats whole bulbs. The calculator gives no mg/kg grading for bulbs.

Signs and How Soon They Appear

Drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea, usually within an hour or a few hours. After large amounts of daffodil bulb, signs can include tremors, low blood pressure, an abnormal heart rhythm and breathing changes. Swallowed whole bulbs can also block the gut.

What to Do Right Now

Call your vet or a poison line, especially if a whole bulb was eaten. Say whether it was tulip, daffodil or another bulb. Do not induce vomiting at home. Store bulbs out of reach and cover newly planted beds if your dog digs.

Bulb season: practical precautions

Most bulb exposures happen in autumn, when bulbs sit in paper bags in the shed or on the kitchen table, and in spring, when dogs dig in freshly planted beds. Daffodil bulbs are sometimes mistaken for onions in storage, which has poisoned people as well as pets. Store bulbs in a closed container on a high shelf, plant them when your dog is indoors, cover new beds with wire mesh or netting until shoots appear, and do not leave bone meal fertiliser on top of the soil, because its smell encourages digging. Indoors, forced bulbs such as paperwhite narcissus and amaryllis (Hippeastrum, which contains similar alkaloids) should be kept out of reach and the water changed regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and References

• Merck Veterinary Manual: Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals (Narcissus, Tulipa)
• ASPCA: Tulip
• ASPCA: Daffodil

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