Boxwood is Posionous To Pets | Poisonous Plant For Pets

Plant Name:

Boxwood

Scientific Name:

Buxus sp.

Family:

Buxaceae

Toxins:

Butyraceous (butter-like) oil, and three alkaloids: buxine, cyclobuxine, and cycloprotobuxine. (Pronounced negative effect on horses)

Poisoning Symptoms:

In dogs and cats, mild to severe gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract) resulting in some combination of diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramping. In horses symptoms are much more severe and include colic, diarrhea, seizures and convulsions which can lead to respiratory arrest and death.

Additional Information:

Commonly used in landscaping as an ornamental hedge around houses, the Box tree is noted for both its toxicity as well as its medicinal properties. It is native to both western and Southern Europe, southwest Asia, and northwest Africa. Introduced to the United States long ago, they have widely escaped cultivation to become naturalized and can be found as far north as New York and as far south as Puerto Rico. As with many toxic or potentially poisonous plants, the degree to which an individual is affected depends upon the part of the plant consumed, the amount consumed and the individuals susceptibility to the toxin at hand; with some animals being considerable more susceptible (most notably horses) than others.

To date there has been no record of human mortality from over consumption of Box tree, however, the constituent parts of the plant to which its effects are attributed: butyraceous (butter-like) oil, and three alkaloids: buxine, cyclobuxine, and cycloprotobuxine; can and have killed grazing animals such as horses. A highly toxic dose for horses would be around one and a half to two and a half pounds of leaves or roughly .15 percent (.0015%) of body weight. The initial symptoms would be severe gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea, obvious abdominal pain and discomfort) followed by convulsions which could lead to respiratory arrest and death.

Not only toxic, the box tree has also found much use over the years for medicinal purposes. The alkaloids are believed to deter certain pathogens that would otherwise promote disease. To treat rheumatism and syphilis, the wood was boiled down to a decoction; to treat epilepsy and the pain of a toothache, the volatile oils were used for their sedative and narcotic effect. It also found use in early veterinary medicine as an Anthelmintic to expel intestinal worms by drying and grinding the leaves to a powder and administering them orally. Despite the well known health risk to horses, powdered Box tree leaves were used to rid them of the parasitic larva of the botfly. In folk medicine it was also held in high regard as the acceptable remedy for the bite of a rabid animal.

First Aid:

In animals such as dogs and cats the likelihood of death or serious negative effects is rare. Most often symptoms will be limited to lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea; with the vast majority of pets making a full recovery with only symptomatic treatment. Members of the Buxus sp. tend to have bitter, unpleasant taste that limits consumption, thus limiting the amount of toxin ingested. . Prevent further access to the plant, remove any plant material still in the mouth, consult your veterinarian.

In grazing animals, especially horses the effect of the toxins is much more pronounced and potentially lethal. Unfortunately there is no specific or reliable treatment. Veterinarians may give symptomatic treatments that have proved valuable in other plant alkaloid poisonings. However, recovery will depend largely on the severity of the poisoning and the individual animals susceptibility to the toxins. Prevent further access to the plant, remove any plant material still in the mouth, seek emergency veterinary care.

Species Affected:

Toxic To Cats

Toxic To Dogs

Toxic To Horses