Solanum dulcamara
Solanaceae
Climbing Nightshade; Bittersweet Nightshade; European Bittersweet; Bitter Nightshade; Woody Nightshade; Poisonous Nightshade; Blue Nightshade; Violet Bloom; Scarlet Berry; Felonwort; Devil’s Apple; Blue Blindweed; Soda Apple; Solanum dulcamara
Steroidal glycoalkaloids, especially solanine-type compounds; dulcamarine; soladulcidine-related glycoalkaloids; saponins; and other Solanum alkaloid or glycoside constituents. The leaves, stems, and green or unripe berries are generally the greatest concern, while ripe berries are usually less toxic but should still be treated as poisonous.
Hypersalivation, drooling, severe gastrointestinal disturbance, vomiting, abdominal pain, early hemorrhagic diarrhea, diarrhea with or without blood, anorexia, apathy, drowsiness, depression, dilated pupils, confusion, behavioral change, bradycardia, low blood pressure, muscular weakness that may progressively worsen, trembling, numbness, labored breathing, rapid heartbeat, weak pulse, nasal discharge, central nervous system depression, loss of coordination, ataxia, rear-leg weakness or paralysis, collapse, convulsions, respiratory failure, coma, and death in severe cases.
Climbing Nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, also known as Bittersweet Nightshade, Woody Nightshade, European Bittersweet, Bitter Nightshade, Poisonous Nightshade, Blue Nightshade, Scarlet Berry, Devil’s Apple, Felonwort, Violet Bloom, and Blue Blindweed, is a perennial vine or scrambling shrub in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It has slender stems, purple star-shaped flowers with yellow centers, and bright berries that change color as they mature. Because it can climb, sprawl, and weave through hedges, fences, brush, and disturbed areas, it is a plant that pets and livestock may encounter along property edges, ditches, fence lines, gardens, and unmanaged vegetation.
This plant is often confused by common name with several other nightshade plants. “Deadly Nightshade” properly refers to Atropa belladonna, a different plant with a different and often more atropine-dominant toxicity profile. “Bittersweet” may also refer to American Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, which is an entirely different plant in the family Celastraceae. For this page, the plant at issue is Solanum dulcamara, the climbing or bittersweet nightshade.
Even though all parts of European Bittersweet or Climbing Nightshade should be considered toxic, the plant is also relatively unpalatable. It has a strong, unpleasant odor and a bitter taste that most animals will avoid. Although pet and livestock losses have been reported in connection with nightshade plants, they are rare, and very few animals will willingly consume enough fresh plant material to cause a potentially lethal poisoning situation unless forage is limited, plant material is mixed into hay, or the animal is unusually curious, bored, hungry, or indiscriminate.
The pets at highest risk are those that tend to be curious, young, bored, plant-chewing, or prone to eating yard debris. These animals may chew or ingest the plant for the sake of curiosity or out of pure boredom. The colorful berries also create a special risk because they are visually attractive and may be swallowed before the animal is discouraged by the bitterness of the foliage.
The entire plant contains steroidal glycoalkaloids, especially solanine-type compounds. Solanine is the same general toxin associated with green potatoes and other members of the nightshade family. Solanum dulcamara also contains dulcamarine and related glycoside or alkaloid compounds that may produce gastrointestinal, neurologic, and cardiovascular effects. Older references sometimes compare dulcamarine to atropine-like activity because some signs may resemble anticholinergic or nightshade-type effects, but the better modern framing is that this plant’s toxicity is primarily Solanum glycoalkaloid toxicity.
The toxin concentration varies with soil, light, climate, plant part, maturity, and growth stage. Leaves, stems, and unripe green berries are generally the most concerning portions of the plant. Ripe fruits are generally considered less toxic than the leaves and unripe berries, but even ripe berries can be poisonous and should not be considered safe for pets, livestock, or children.
When ingested, the primary problems involve the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system. Gastrointestinal signs may include vomiting, abdominal pain, inappetence, nausea, diarrhea, and diarrhea that may become bloody. Central nervous system signs may include depression, confusion, weakness, loss of coordination, ataxia, tremors, paralysis of the rear legs, collapse, convulsions, respiratory difficulty, coma, and death in severe cases.
Current pet-toxicology references describe vomiting and diarrhea as the common clinical signs after Climbing Nightshade ingestion, with drowsiness, low blood pressure, and low heart rate occurring less commonly. Broader plant-toxicology references list Solanum dulcamara as toxic to humans, pets, and livestock, with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea as expected signs. A published veterinary case report also documents successful treatment of Solanum dulcamara intoxication in a dog, demonstrating that clinically meaningful small-animal poisoning can occur even though published small-animal reports are limited.
The progression and severity of poisoning depend upon the amount consumed, plant part consumed, ripeness of the berries, animal species, size, health, and how quickly treatment begins. A small nibble may produce only short-lived stomach upset. A larger ingestion of leaves or green berries may produce more serious gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and neurologic signs. In livestock, risk increases when nightshade is present in hay, when pastures are overgrazed, when animals are hungry, or when desirable forage is unavailable.
The practical rule is to treat Climbing Nightshade as a genuinely toxic plant but not to confuse ordinary small exposures with the worst-case mythology surrounding Deadly Nightshade. It is capable of making pets and livestock seriously ill, especially when berries or a meaningful amount of foliage are eaten, but its odor, bitterness, and poor palatability often limit intake. Any animal showing weakness, severe gastrointestinal upset, neurologic signs, rear-leg weakness, abnormal heart rate, low blood pressure, breathing difficulty, collapse, or convulsions after exposure should be treated as a veterinary emergency.
Immediate Response to Climbing Nightshade Ingestion
- Remove the Source: Prevent further ingestion by removing the animal from the Climbing Nightshade vine, berries, leaves, stems, roots, clippings, hay, pasture, or any area containing accessible plant material.
- Identify the Plant Part: Determine whether the animal ate leaves, stems, ripe berries, green or unripe berries, roots, dried material, hay-contaminating material, or an unknown amount. Green berries and foliage are especially concerning.
- Remove Plant Material from the Mouth: If ingestion was recent and it is safe to do so, remove visible berries, leaves, or plant fragments from the mouth and rinse the mouth thoroughly with water.
- Watch for Gastrointestinal Signs: Monitor for drooling, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, depression, or dehydration.
- Watch for Neurologic or Cardiovascular Signs: Drowsiness, confusion, dilated pupils, weakness, trembling, loss of coordination, rear-leg weakness, collapse, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, labored breathing, convulsions, or coma should be treated as emergency signs.
- Contact Veterinary Help Promptly: Consult a veterinarian, emergency veterinary clinic, Pet Poison Helpline, or another animal poison-control professional if ingestion is suspected, if berries were eaten, if the amount is unknown, if symptoms are present, or if the exposed animal is a cat, dog, horse, livestock animal, young animal, elderly animal, pregnant animal, or medically fragile animal.
Inducing Vomiting and Decontamination
- Getting Plant Material Out Matters: If a dog has recently swallowed Climbing Nightshade plant material, removing remaining plant material from the stomach may reduce continued exposure to solanine-type glycoalkaloids and other irritating or neurologically active compounds.
- Inducing Vomiting in Dogs Only: If ingestion was recent and the dog is alert, breathing normally, able to swallow, and not showing weakness, collapse, repeated vomiting, severe depression, tremors, seizures, rear-leg paralysis, breathing difficulty, abnormal heart rate, low blood pressure, or neurologic signs, a veterinarian or animal poison-control professional may recommend inducing vomiting with fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide.
- Cat Warning: Hydrogen peroxide should not be used to induce vomiting in cats unless a veterinarian specifically directs it. Cats are more prone to irritation and complications from hydrogen peroxide, and home vomiting attempts may create more risk than benefit.
- Do Not Induce Vomiting in an Unstable Animal: Vomiting should not be attempted in any animal that is weak, collapsed, sedated, having trouble breathing, unable to swallow normally, already vomiting repeatedly, showing neurologic signs, showing abnormal heart rate, showing low blood pressure, seizing, or otherwise unstable.
- Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal is a valuable tool for binding ingested toxins in the stomach and intestines and may be used under veterinary or poison-control direction, especially after berry ingestion or larger exposures.
- Gastric Lavage: If a large amount was ingested, or if the animal is already under veterinary care and home emesis is unsafe, a veterinarian may consider gastric lavage followed by activated charcoal when clinically appropriate.
Emergency Veterinary Treatment
- No Specific Antidote: There is no specific antidote for Climbing Nightshade poisoning. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
- Respiratory Support: In severe poisonings, the emphasis is respiratory support because death may occur from respiratory failure in advanced cases.
- Fluids and Electrolytes: Severe vomiting or diarrhea may require fluid therapy and electrolyte replacement to correct dehydration, shock risk, and ongoing gastrointestinal losses.
- Cardiovascular Support: Animals with low blood pressure, slow heart rate, weak pulse, rapid heartbeat, collapse, or poor perfusion may require cardiovascular monitoring, IV fluids, vasopressors, or other veterinary-directed support.
- Oxygen and Airway Support: If the pet consumed a large amount and is suffering respiratory or cardiovascular distress, intubation, oxygen support, or assisted ventilation may be necessary.
- Seizure Control: Diazepam or other veterinary-directed anticonvulsant medication may be used for convulsions or severe neurologic signs.
- Neurologic Monitoring: The pet should be watched closely for worsening neurologic distress, including tremors, ataxia, rear-leg paralysis, depression, confusion, collapse, or seizures.
Livestock, Pasture, and Hay Concerns
- Pasture Risk: Livestock usually avoid fresh nightshade because of its odor and bitter taste, but risk increases when pasture is overgrazed, desirable forage is limited, or animals are hungry.
- Hay Contamination: Nightshade mixed into hay can increase risk because animals may consume dried plant material incidentally rather than selecting around the living plant.
- Fence-Line Management: Remove Climbing Nightshade from fence lines, hedgerows, barn edges, ditches, and overgrown areas accessible to horses, cattle, goats, sheep, or other browsing animals.
- Berry Cleanup: Remove berries and plant debris from areas accessible to dogs, puppies, livestock, poultry, or curious animals.
Prognosis and Recovery
- Small Ingestions: In many minor ingestion cases, especially when only a small amount was consumed and treatment is prompt, the animal may make a full recovery in a matter of hours.
- Variable Prognosis: Prognosis varies from good to poor depending on the amount ingested, plant part consumed, ripeness of berries, animal size, species, and severity of gastrointestinal, neurologic, respiratory, or cardiovascular signs.
- Higher-Risk Cases: Prognosis becomes more guarded when green berries or a large quantity of foliage are eaten, bloody diarrhea develops, weakness progresses, rear-leg paralysis appears, breathing becomes labored, or cardiovascular signs occur.
- Emergency Cases: Collapse, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure, severe low blood pressure, or progressive neurologic depression should be treated as life-threatening.
- Prevention: Prevent further ingestion of the plant, remove Climbing Nightshade from pet and livestock areas, clean up berries and vines, and contact a veterinarian promptly whenever exposure is suspected.