Spring crocus (Crocus species) causes drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea in dogs, and Pet Poison Helpline rates it mild to moderate. It must not be confused with autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), a different genus entirely and a life-threatening poisoning.
Enter your dog's details for a straight answer sized to them.
Why Crocus is dangerous
Spring-blooming crocus irritates the digestive tract, producing drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. Pet Poison Helpline classes it as a mild to moderate toxicity, which puts it in a completely different category from the autumn crocus it is often mistaken for.
Spring crocus versus autumn crocus: the distinction that matters
These are different genera that share a common name, and confusing them is dangerous. Spring crocus (Crocus species, Iridaceae) blooms in late winter and early spring, has grassy leaves with a pale central stripe alongside the flower, and causes stomach upset. Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale, Colchicaceae) blooms in autumn from bare ground with no leaves present, contains colchicine, and causes bloody vomiting and diarrhea, organ failure, and bone marrow damage, sometimes after a delay of days. If you cannot tell which one your dog ate, assume the worse of the two and call a vet immediately. See our autumn crocus page for that case.
Saffron crocus and crocus bulbs
Saffron comes from Crocus sativus, a true spring-type crocus, so the threads sold as a spice belong to the milder group rather than to Colchicum. The bulbs are the part dogs are most likely to reach in quantity, because a dog digging in a border or raiding a bag of autumn-planted bulbs can eat far more plant material than one nibbling a flower.
Signs to watch for
Drooling, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea
What to do next
Identify the plant if you can, ideally with a photo of the flower and leaves, and call your vet. If there is any chance it was autumn crocus, treat it as an emergency and go now.
🚨Step-by-step: what to do in the first 10 minutes →Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
FAQ
A nibble on a flower or leaf typically causes stomach upset that settles. Digging up and eating bulbs is the larger exposure, since bulbs concentrate the irritant compounds, and a small dog that ate several is the case worth calling about.
A nibble of leaf or flower, in a dog that is otherwise bright, can usually be watched at home with water available.
If bulbs were eaten, if vomiting or diarrhea is repeated or bloody, if your dog is small, or if you are not certain which crocus it was. Uncertainty about the species is itself a reason to call.
Yes, for spring crocus the bulb is the more concentrated part, and a dog that digs up and eats several is a bigger exposure than one that chews a bloom. Bulbs are also the form most likely to be eaten in quantity, straight from a border or a planting bag.
Timing is the quickest clue. Flowers appearing in late winter or early spring with grassy leaves around them are spring crocus. Flowers appearing in autumn on bare stems with no leaves are almost certainly autumn crocus, which is the dangerous one. If you are unsure, photograph the plant and let your vet or poison control decide.
Related plants
- Pet Poison Helpline, crocus
- ASPCA APCC, toxic and non-toxic plants