Toxic to cats · Plants

Is Calla Lily toxic to cats?

Moderate severity

Yes, Calla Lily is toxic to cats. It can cause real illness, so contact your vet if your pet has been exposed.

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Are calla lilies toxic to dogs and cats?

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What to do right now

  1. Check which plant it was. If you can't be sure it was a calla lily and not a true lily (Lilium) or a daylily (Hemerocallis), treat it as an emergency: take your cat and the plant to a vet now.
  2. Take the plant away so your cat can't chew more.
  3. Call your vet or an animal poison line, even if you're fairly sure it was a calla lily. A photo can help them identify the plant. In the US: ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 (a fee may apply).
  4. ASPCA Poison Control says a small amount of milk, yogurt or vanilla ice cream, offered shortly after the exposure, can help ease the irritation in the mouth. Check that it contains no xylitol.

Go to an emergency vet if

  • You can't rule out that the plant was a true lily or a daylily. Go even if your cat seems fine.
  • Your cat has trouble breathing or swallowing. Go straight to a vet clinic.
  • Your cat's lips, mouth or tongue are badly swollen, or its voice changes. In rare cases, swelling at the back of the throat makes breathing hard.
  • Your cat ate a large amount and seems to be in a lot of stomach pain. ASPCA Poison Control says this can happen, rarely, after large exposures.

Symptoms to watch for

  • Drooling
  • Oral pain
  • Pawing at the mouth
  • Vomiting
  • Decreased appetite
  • Swelling of the upper airway
  • Difficulty breathing

How much is dangerous

No toxic dose for cats has been published. Calla lily does not cause the kidney failure that true lilies cause in cats: its crystals irritate the mouth and stomach, and Pet Poison Helpline says the burning often limits how much a pet eats, though signs can range from mild to severe. The main danger for cats is a mix-up with a true lily (Lilium) or a daylily (Hemerocallis): contact with any part of those plants, even the pollen or vase water, can cause sudden kidney failure.

When signs appear

Signs of calla lily start right away, as soon as your cat bites the plant: the Merck Veterinary Manual describes immediate pain, and Pet Poison Helpline says the burning starts right when an animal chews. No source says how long the signs last. True lilies are different: they damage the kidneys, and Pet Poison Helpline says a delay in treatment of more than 18 hours after ingestion generally results in irreversible kidney failure. So if you aren't sure which plant it was, don't wait for signs.

Why it's dangerous

Chewing the plant releases needle-like crystals that penetrate and irritate the tissues of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.

Toxic compound: Insoluble calcium oxalate crystals

How vets treat it

The vet first checks that the plant was a calla lily and not a true lily, because true lilies need hospital treatment to protect the kidneys. For calla lily, treatment is supportive. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes removing the plant material, rinsing or wiping out the mouth to clear the remaining crystals and, sometimes, giving milk or other dairy products, whose calcium binds the crystals. The vet watches for swelling in the throat and, if it makes breathing hard, may secure the airway and give oxygen.

Outlook

For calla lily, the outlook is good to excellent. The Merck Veterinary Manual says that in most cases full recovery is expected, often without veterinary treatment, and that these crystals don't harm the kidneys. ASPCA Poison Control says long-term effects are not expected. If the plant turns out to be a true lily, early treatment greatly improves the outlook.

Where pets are exposed

  • Calla lilies (Zantedeschia), also called arum lily, pig lily, white arum, florist's calla, garden calla or trumpet lily. They belong to the arum family (Araceae) and are not true lilies. They carry the same needle-like crystals as peace lilies, pothos, dumb cane and philodendrons.
  • Cut flowers and bouquets, potted plants and gardens. Calla lilies are popular with florists and grow in containers, in borders and at the edges of ponds.
  • Every part of the plant. NC State Extension lists the flowers, leaves, roots, sap and stems. The crystals sit in cells throughout the plant and are released when a pet bites or chews it.
  • Not to be confused with true lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis), which cause kidney failure in cats. Some names overlap: the ASPCA lists trumpet lily as a name for calla lily, and the Merck Veterinary Manual uses the same name for a true lily. The questions below explain how to tell them apart.

Prevention

  • Learn the botanical name of any plant sold as a lily. Calla lilies are Zantedeschia, true lilies are Lilium and daylilies are Hemerocallis. Giving florists the scientific name helps avoid mix-ups.
  • If you live with a cat, check every bouquet for true lilies, which often appear in cut-flower bouquets, and ask florists to leave them out.
  • Keep calla lilies, potted or cut, out of reach of pets that chew plants.
  • Other common houseplants carry the same crystals, such as peace lily, pothos, dumb cane, philodendron and Swiss cheese plant (Monstera).

Good to know

Very rarely, swelling of the upper airway occurs making it difficult to breathe. Part of the Araceae family.

Common questions

Is a calla lily a true lily?

No. Calla lilies (Zantedeschia) belong to the arum family (Araceae). True lilies belong to the genus Lilium, and daylilies to Hemerocallis. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists calla lily among the 'imposter' lilies: plants called lilies that don't carry the same risk to cats as true lilies.

Can a calla lily cause kidney failure in cats?

No. Pet Poison Helpline says the crystals in calla lilies don't cause kidney failure, and the Merck Veterinary Manual says these crystals pose no concern for kidney injury. They irritate the mouth and stomach instead. Only true lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) cause kidney failure in cats, so make sure the plant was a calla lily. If you're not sure, treat it as a true lily and go to a vet.

How can I tell a calla lily from a true lily?

Look at the flower. A calla lily flower is one large, funnel-shaped sheath (the spathe), usually white but pink or burgundy in some varieties, wrapped around a yellow, finger-like spike (the spadix). Its large arrow- to heart-shaped leaves grow on thick stalks straight from an underground stem. A true lily flower has six identical petal-like parts (tepals), the leaves sit directly on an upright stem, and the plant grows from a bulb made of fleshy scales. Names don't settle it: 'trumpet lily' is used for both plants, and Easter lilies, which are true lilies, also have white, trumpet-shaped flowers. If you're not sure, take the plant or a photo to your vet, and treat it as a true lily until then.

Are calla lilies toxic to dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists calla lily as toxic to dogs. Its crystals cause intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue and lips, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Very rarely, swelling of the upper airway makes breathing hard. Call your vet or a pet poison line if your dog chews one, and go straight to a clinic if it struggles to breathe or swallow.

Can I give my pet milk after it chewed a calla lily?

ASPCA Poison Control says a small amount of dairy, such as milk, yogurt or vanilla ice cream, offered shortly after the exposure can help ease the irritation in the mouth. Check that the product contains no xylitol. The Merck Veterinary Manual explains that the crystals bind to the calcium in dairy products, which helps clear them from the mouth and esophagus. Call your vet or a poison line as well, and if your pet has trouble swallowing or breathing, go straight to a vet clinic.

Which part of a calla lily is poisonous?

All of it. NC State Extension lists the flowers, leaves, roots, sap and stems, and ASPCA Poison Control says the leaves, stems and stalks hold the needle-like crystals. Chewing breaks open the cells that hold them, which is why signs start as soon as a pet bites.

Sources

This page is informational and is not veterinary advice. If your pet has been exposed to something risky, contact your vet or an animal poison control line right away.

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