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My dog ate Christmas cactus and mother-in-law's tongue. Is it safe?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Brittany | Female | spayed | 26 lbs

our dog has eaten a Christmas cacti and a large blade of mother in law tongue she is a 14yr old Brittany spaniel in otherwise good health, about 26 lbs she ate them about 5 hours or less ago thank you

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 14th, 2017

Mother in law's tongue could cause oral irritation or vomiting, but I would expect you would have seen signs by now if Katie was going to be affected. There would be no lasting effects. Christmas cactus is non-toxic. If Katie vomits or starts drooling I would recommend seeing a veterinarian for symptomatic and supportive care. For future reference this website is helpful: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Mother in law tongue has some signs of toxicity but the majority of these are mild gastrointestinal, unless consumed in large quantities. You might expect some vomiting and diarrhea but nothing life threatening. As for the Christmas Cacti, ultimately it is going to depend on how big it was and if it going to be able to successfully pass through the GI tract. X-rays at the vet may be able to indication if there is any delayed emptying of the stomach of an area of the intestines that looks suspicious for obstruction. Give her age and the consequences of a possible surgical procedure, I would not risk waiting and take her to be seen by a vet this evening. They should be able to to tell you if they believe inducing vomiting is for the best.

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