Are Daisies Toxic To Pets? (Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, and More)?

Daisies are beautiful outdoor plants with awesome blossoms in the blossoming season. However, if you have daisies in your backyard garden with lovely blooms, it might attract your pets. Therefore, you need to know whether your daisies are toxic to your pets. 

If your pet consumes one or two daisies, it might not harm your pet, but consuming a large amount can cause problems like drooling, vomiting, and muscle spasms. In addition, there is a substance called sesquiterpene, which can cause skin irritation and intestinal upset to your pets.

Daisies are not so toxic that they will kill your pets, but they can cause health problems when ingested in high amounts. If you notice any symptoms that your dog or cat shows, you should visit your vet immediately. 

It does not mean that you can’t plant daisies in your garden. However, it would help if you made sure that your pets can’t reach the plant. You need to do your research to be aware of the precautions you need to take. 

We will now discuss in detail how toxic the daisies can be for your cat or dog. But, first, you need to know what can happen when your pet comes in contact with daisies.

Daisy at

Are daisies pet-friendly?

You cannot consider daisies pet-friendly, but they will surely not kill your cat or dog. However, it might cause some problems if your pet ingests it. 

Substances like Sesquiterpene and pyrethroids are found in most common daisies and can prove toxic to your pet. Pyrethroids are used to make insecticides like flea medication. So, if your pet is recently treated with flea medication or shampoo, which contains pyrethrin or pyrethroids, then it can lead to severe problems in your pet. 

Therefore, the best thing that you can do is, you can keep your daisies away from your pets- especially cats and dogs.  

You will need to make sure that your pet is not around the daisies. But if it happens, it can irritate them. And if your pet consumes the daisies, the results can be severe.  

They can suffer from excessive drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. Loss of appetite can also happen to your pet.

How poisonous are daisies?

The daisies might be mildly poisonous for your pets. The toxicity depends on how much your pet has consumed. It might not be a very threatening situation, but it can make your pet sick if ingested. 

Although you might not have seen your pet taking a bite on the plant notice symptoms like vomiting, drooling, or swollen mouth of your pets, check the plant. And you might find out from where your pet has taken a bite. 

Suppose you find out that a considerable chunk of the plant is missing and possibly eaten by your pet; contact the vet immediately to control the situation and treat your pet quickly. 

There are four classes for toxicity, and daisies fall under class two and four toxicities. It means the toxicity level is minor and low. If ingested, the plant can cause vomiting and diarrhea. It can also cause skin rash or irritation. You can treat and take care of these problems. With that said, you should not take it lightly.

Signs of daisy poisoning

You might notice your pet feeling irritation around their mouth, and you’ll find them pawing at the mouth. It is an indication that it might have ingested daisies. The plant’s sap can cause skin irritation if it gets on any part of your pet’s body. 

The sap might affect humans too. Therefore, it is advisable to wear gloves while touching your daisies and thoroughly wash your hands after completing your work. 

Below are the common signs of daisy poisoning:  

  • Reduced appetite  
  • Skin irritation 
  • Oral irritation  
  • Vomiting  
  • Diarrhea  
  • Nausea

Looking for gardening supplies? We have tested 100's of products before recommending them to you guys. Check out our best pick below:


Which pets are vulnerable to daisy poisoning?

Daisy poisoning might not affect all kinds of pets. It can depend on the type of daisies you have. For example, pets such as guinea pigs are sensitive to specific types of daisies. 

While your pets play with you in your backyard garden, they tend to sniff, touch and taste everything they come closer to. In addition, they may be very curious about exploring all different kinds of plants and flowers.  

This exercise can go wrong if they come in contact with your daisies because of the plant’s toxicity. Hence it becomes essential to keep your pets away from these plants. 

If by any chance they ingest the daisies, the sap can stick to their mouth that can cause irritation and many other problems. 

You can instead take precautions before your pet can get to the plant. It means keeping your plants away from your pets. 

Are Daisy safe for dogs?

Daisy dog

Many people who have pet dogs are not even aware that daisies can be toxic to their dogs, and they only get to know it once the dog falls sick due to it. 

Daisies have Sesquiterpene and pyrethroids. Sesquiterpene lactones are highly irritating substances for the nose, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it can cause problems for your dog. Whereas pyrethroids, when ingested in high concentrations, can severely affect your dog. 

If your dog consumes daisies and that to a large amount, it can cause many symptoms. Below are some common symptoms found in dogs:  

  • Irritation and pain in the mouth  
  • Pawing on the face  
  • Vomiting  
  • Drooling  
  • Swelling of tongue, lips, and mouth  
  • Breathing issues

Are daisies safe for cats to eat?

Daisy cat

Apart from oral irritation, daisies can harm the digestive system of your cat. If your cat consumes the daisies, it can lead to irritation in the mouth, nose, eyes, and digestive tract.  

Ingestion of the plant can be painful to your cat and very uncomfortable as well. Below are the symptoms, which include:  

  • Vomiting  
  • Reduced appetite  
  • Swelling of the mouth region  
  • Oral irritation  
  • Drooling  
  • Weakness  
  • Dehydration  
  • Diarrhea

Are daisies dangerous to rabbits?

Daisy rabbit

Rabbits tend to chew anything that they find in their way. So, despite being toxic for dogs and cats, daisies are not harmful to rabbits. 

Daisies don’t have much nutrition, but rabbits find them tasty. Rabbits can consume all plant parts, such as flowers, stems, leaves, and even roots. The whole plant is non-toxic for rabbits.

Are daisies dangerous to small animals?

Many pet lovers own small pets, such as guinea pigs. However, it can be risky if your guinea pig consumes the daisies. 

Certain types of daisies are toxic to guinea pigs. It can be harmful even if they ingest a little bit of it. However, you will also find some types of daisies that are not harmful to the guinea pigs.  

The daisies that are harmful to the guinea pigs can cause:  

  • Nausea  
  • Stomach ache  
  • Vomiting  
  • Diarrhea  
  • Allergies  

It is risky for hamsters to consume the daisies as they might contain parasites that can harm your little pet. Otherwise, the daisies fall under plants that are safe for the hamsters.

What to do if your pet ate daisies? 

Pets can’t understand which plant can prove to be harmful to them. So you need to be careful and understand which plant can cause problems to your pet to keep them away from the plant. 

You need to take your pet to the vet if you find your pet has consumed the plant. Don’t try anything on your own. 

After taking your pet to the vet, tell them exactly how much your pet has consumed and how long it’s been since your pet has ingested the plant. 

The doctor will start the treatment based on the information provided by you. For example, the vet might rinse your pet’s mouth so that the plant’s sap gets washed.  

The doctor will try to find out the effect of the plant substances on your Pet, and based on the results, he will do the treatment.

How to keep daisies away from pets?

Daisies are the kind of plants that are not pet-friendly as they have toxicity, and due to this reason, you need to plant your daisies in a spot that is not accessible to your pets.

How to keep your daisies away from dogs?

Your daisies should be beyond your dog’s reach, and below are a few points to follow:  

  • Plant your daisies in a fenced area where your dog is not able to reach them.  
  • You can also sprinkle some pepper around the fence of your daisies because it will irritate the dog’s nose and will keep them away.  
  • Peels of citrus fruits around the plant will also work well to keep your dogs away as they don’t like it.  
  • You can also plant marigolds around the daisies so that the dog cannot reach the daisies. It will also look great, along with daisies.

How to keep the daisies away from cats?

Let us understand how we can keep our cats away from daisies.  

  • Spring citrus fruits and peels of citrus fruits around the daisies will keep the cats away just like dogs.  
  • Coffee is something that cats don’t like, so try to keep them away from your daisies. Mixing some coffee grounds in the soil around your daisies is a good idea.  
  • Lavender or rosemary are herbs that cats don’t like. Therefore, you can use them as well.  
  • Cats also don’t like moving around stones, so it will be a good idea to fence your daisies with rocks.  
  • You can also plant your daisies in your backyard, choosing a spot where your cat cannot reach due to some good fencing.

Final Words

It is ideal to keep your pets away from your daisies if you have cats or dogs. While rabbits may enjoy feeding on daisies, smaller pets like guinea pigs or hamsters are sensitive towards some types of daisies. 

If you haven’t done any research, it is best to keep your pets away from the daisies to avoid unfavorable situations.


Source: Ornamentals toxic plantsPet poison online, Toxic plants, and companion animals.

Richa

Hello everyone, My name is Richa and I am here to make you a better gardener by creating an in-depth and helpful resource for all the fellow gardeners out there. If I could help even a few people understand their plants better then I call it a success for my efforts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts