Is Dieffenbachia safe for dogs and cats?
Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.
ASPCA reports Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia): listed as toxic to dogs and toxic to cats. Burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue and lips, heavy drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing. The ASPCA lists two toxic principles here, a crystal type and an enzyme, both tied to mouth irritation. Keep it away from chewing pets. If a pet chews it, call your vet or a pet poison line.
Checked October 29, 2026.
Also called: dumb cane, giant dumb cane, tropic snow, exotica. Dieffenbachia.
What in it is the problem
Insoluble calcium oxalates and a protein-digesting enzyme.
What it can do
Burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue and lips, heavy drooling, vomiting and trouble swallowing.
Good to know
The ASPCA lists two toxic principles here, a crystal type and an enzyme, both tied to mouth irritation. Keep it away from chewing pets.
Did your pet chew it?
Call your vet or a pet poison line, and say what plant, how much and when. If you aren't sure which plant it was, take a photo of it.
Poison emergency? Call now
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, 24 hours a day, every day. A consultation fee may apply.
Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661, 24/7. $99 per incident, follow-up calls included.
Or call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
For the children
"Some plants can make pets sick, and lilies are very dangerous for cats. Ask a grown-up before you bring a plant or flowers inside."
A job: Be the plant checker. Help a grown-up look up each plant in the house on this site, and write the ones to keep away on a list.
This page is general information from the sources below, not veterinary advice. Common names are shared by different plants, so check the Latin name.
Sources
- ASPCA: Dieffenbachia (checked October 29, 2026)