Why it's dangerous
The toxins interfere directly with the electrolyte balance within the heart muscle, similar to the effects of digitalis or digoxin.
Toxic compound: Cardiac glycosides (cardenolides or bufadienolides)
How vets treat it
If your dog has no signs yet, the vet may make it vomit in the clinic and give activated charcoal, sometimes in repeated doses. Other care includes IV fluids, anti-nausea and stomach-protecting medicines, and close checks of heart rhythm, blood pressure and potassium, with medicines for the heart or for high potassium if needed. In severe cases, vets can give an antidote made for the heart drug digoxin, which also works against these plant toxins. Monitoring may continue for some time, because signs can come back.
Outlook
The outlook is excellent when a dog has only a mild stomach upset and no heart or potassium problems. Once heart signs or high potassium appear, the outlook is guarded (uncertain), and better if the antidote is available. Deaths do happen: Dutch poison-centre records include at least three dogs that died soon after eating plants from the same group (Ornithogalum).
Where pets are exposed
- Gardens and yards. Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), also called dove's dung, spreads quickly and often turns up where nobody planted it.
- Roadsides, pastures and woodland, where it also grows wild.
- Bulbs being planted, dug up or stored. Every part of the plant is toxic, but the bulb holds the most toxin and is the most dangerous part.
- Compost that contains Ornithogalum bulbs. In one reported case, a puppy got to bulbs this way.
- Cut flowers and bouquets, especially around Christmas, and dwarf varieties grown in pots indoors.
Prevention
- Check bouquets for white, star-shaped flowers before bringing them home, especially at Christmas, and choose pet-safe flowers.
- Keep cut flowers and potted Ornithogalum out of your cat's reach. Cats tend to chew the leaves, stems and flowers.
- Store bulbs out of reach, and keep dogs away while you plant, divide or dig them up. Bulbs hold the most toxin, and dogs seem drawn to them.
- Don't spread compost or soil that contains Ornithogalum bulbs where dogs dig or play.
- Learn to recognize the plant: six white petals with a green stripe on the back, flowers in a loose cluster, and glossy dark green leaves with a pale central stripe. It spreads fast, so check beds and borders each spring.
Good to know
All parts of the plant are toxic, including the water in a vase. It belongs to the same group as Foxglove, Oleander, and Lily of the Valley.
Common questions
Is star of Bethlehem poisonous to dogs?
Yes. It contains cardiac glycosides, toxins that act on the heart, and the bulb holds the most. Vomiting and loss of appetite are the most common signs, but large amounts can disturb the heart rhythm and cause weakness or collapse.
Is star of Bethlehem toxic to cats?
Yes. Veterinary references list it among plants with heart toxins, and cats are believed to be more sensitive than dogs to this group of plants. Very few cases in cats have been published, so call your vet if your cat chews any part of it.
My dog ate a star of Bethlehem bulb. What should I do?
Call your vet or a pet poison line now, even if your dog seems normal: the bulb is the most toxic part of the plant. Don't make your dog vomit at home. Your vet will decide whether to empty the stomach, which works best before signs appear.
Are star of Bethlehem flowers in a bouquet dangerous to pets?
They can be. These star-shaped flowers are often used in Christmas bouquets. Pets usually reach only the leaves and flowers, and most nibbles of cut flowers cause mild signs. Every part of the plant is toxic, though, so call your vet if your pet chews them.
Can star of Bethlehem make a dog go blind?
Vision loss has not been documented for star of Bethlehem itself (Ornithogalum umbellatum). Researchers in the Netherlands reported two dogs that went permanently blind weeks after eating a related species, Ornithogalum arabicum, after only a mild stomach upset. Tell your vet about any change in your dog's vision after it eats an Ornithogalum plant.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals
- Pet Poison Helpline — Star of Bethlehem
- Pet Poison Helpline — Cardiac Glycosides
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List
- Today's Veterinary Practice — Christmas Plants: Hazards, History, and Holiday Dangers (2017)
- Toxicon: X — Ornithogalum arabicum and blindness in dogs (2019)
- Purdue University College of Agriculture — Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Ornithogalum umbellatum
- 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.
