Why it's dangerous
The plant contains cyanogenic glycosides which can cause gastrointestinal irritation and, in rare cases of high ingestion, lead to cyanide poisoning by interfering with cellular respiration.
Toxic compound: cyanogenic glycoside
How vets treat it
Treatment depends on how much your dog ate and which signs it shows. If vets suspect cyanide poisoning, they give hydroxocobalamin (a form of vitamin B12) and oxygen as soon as possible, without waiting for test results. In dogs, hydroxocobalamin with oxygen has improved survival. The older antidote is sodium nitrite followed by sodium thiosulfate, and oxygen may also help.
Outlook
Eating a small amount carries a low risk, and most cases involve stomach upset. How sick a dog gets depends on how much it ate. True cyanide poisoning is unlikely from elderberry but serious if it happens. Dogs have less of the enzyme that breaks down cyanide and clear it slowly, so without treatment the outlook is grave.
Where pets are exposed
- Elder shrubs (Sambucus), also called elderberry, in yards, hedges, woodland edges and along streams. Their dark berries hang in heavy clusters from late summer into fall.
- Common kinds include American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), black elder (Sambucus nigra) and blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea).
- The leaves, stems and twigs, roots and unripe green berries. These are the parts sources flag as toxic, and lab testing found the most cyanide-forming compounds in stems and green berries.
- Raw berries, even ripe ones. Pet Poison Helpline names uncooked fruit as a cause of vomiting and diarrhea, though unripe fruit is far more toxic than fully ripe fruit.
- Elderberry supplements, such as syrups and other herbal products. Pet Poison Helpline says an overdose causes vomiting and diarrhea.
- Homemade or store-bought elderberry jellies, syrups, juices and wines.
Prevention
- Keep elderberries and anything made from them, including supplements, syrups, jellies and juices, out of your pet's reach.
- Don't give elderberry supplements to your dog as a home remedy. Pet Poison Helpline says elderberry does not benefit dogs.
- If you grow elder, stop pets from chewing the leaves, stems or roots and from eating fallen green berries. Sources flag these parts as toxic, and stems and green berries had the most toxin in lab tests.
- Don't share elderberry foods or drinks made for people. Sources disagree on how well cooking breaks down the toxin, and no pet source says cooked elderberries are safe for dogs or cats.
Good to know
The risk of cyanide poisoning is very low for dogs and cats; gastrointestinal upset is the most common outcome.
Common questions
Are elderberries poisonous to dogs?
In small amounts the risk is low. Elderberry leaves and berries contain compounds that can release cyanide, but Pet Poison Helpline says a few berries or leaves carry a low risk and usually cause vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite or tiredness. Large amounts can cause severe signs, so it advises keeping dogs away from elderberry and calling a vet if your dog ate a lot.
Are elderberries toxic to cats?
No source gives guidance specific to cats. Pet Poison Helpline's general entry says eating the plant, uncooked berries or too much of a supplement causes vomiting and diarrhea, and it calls cyanide poisoning a low risk for pets. Call your vet if your cat ate any.
Which parts of the elderberry plant are poisonous?
Sources agree most on the leaves, stems and twigs, roots and unripe green berries. Lab testing of American elderberry found the most cyanide-forming compounds in stems and green berries and the least in ripe berries, and NC State Extension says unripe fruit is far more toxic than fully ripe fruit. Ripe berries still carry some risk: Pet Poison Helpline says uncooked fruit causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Are cooked elderberries safe for dogs?
No veterinary source says they are, and sources disagree on how much cooking helps. For people, NC State Extension says cooking helps break down the cyanide-forming compounds, and cooked ripe berries go into jellies and pies. A 2021 study says boiling only partly removes them, because some are stable under heat. Pet Poison Helpline advises keeping dogs away from elderberry and its products.
My dog ate elderberry syrup or gummies. What should I do?
Pet Poison Helpline says a small amount of elderberry supplement is low risk, and an overdose causes vomiting and diarrhea. Call your vet if your dog ate a lot, keeps vomiting or has bloody diarrhea. Keep the package so you can read the label to your vet when you call.
Can elderberry give my pet cyanide poisoning?
It is possible but unlikely. Merck lists black elder (Sambucus nigra) among plants that can cause cyanide poisoning, in a chapter mostly about livestock, and Pet Poison Helpline calls the risk low for pets. Fast or difficult breathing, muscle spasms, collapse or seizures are an emergency, so go to a vet straight away.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Cyanide Poisoning in Animals (professional version)
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Cyanide Poisoning (pet owner version)
- Pet Poison Helpline — Elderberry
- Pet Poison Helpline — Can Dogs Eat Elderberries?
- Pet Poison Helpline — Is Elderberry Safe for Dogs?
- Cornell University, Department of Animal Science — Plants Poisonous to Livestock: Sambucus canadensis (Elderberry)
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Sambucus canadensis (American Elderberry)
- Molecules (MDPI), via PubMed Central — Cyanogenic Glycoside Analysis in American Elderberry (Appenteng et al., 2021)
- Pet Poison Helpline
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.
