Lantana is one of the more serious garden plants for dogs. It contains triterpenoids that can injure the liver, and the unripe green berries are the most toxic part. Beyond stomach upset, a real ingestion can bring weakness and liver damage, so lantana deserves genuine caution.
Call a vet or poison control now. Do not wait for symptoms.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A consultation fee may apply.
Source-backed guidance. Not individualized veterinary advice.(more)
Compiled from veterinary poison-control and medical references, including the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, Pet Poison Helpline, and Merck Veterinary Manual.
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Why Lantana is dangerous
Lantana contains pentacyclic triterpenoids that can cause liver injury in dogs, on top of gastrointestinal irritation. The whole plant is toxic, and the unripe green berries carry the highest concentration.
Part of the Foxglove guide
For related dog-safety questions and product-by-product answers, see the complete foxglove guide.
Signs to watch for
Vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, jaundice (yellow gums or eyes) with liver injury
Related items
Check the exact item or ingredient before assuming two similar exposures carry the same risk.
What to do next
Keep dogs away from lantana, especially the green berries, and call your vet or poison control promptly for any real ingestion; watch for weakness and jaundice over the following days.
🚨Step-by-step: what to do in the first 10 minutes →Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
The green berries are the worst part
Lantana is more than a stomach-upset plant; the liver is what is at stake.
1. Triterpenoids and the liver
The compounds in lantana can injure the liver, and the unripe green berries concentrate them, so a dog that strips berries off a lantana shrub is a bigger concern than one that chews a leaf. The signs of poisoning to watch for →
FAQ
A nibble of leaf usually causes stomach upset, but the green berries and larger ingestions are where the liver risk lies. There is no comfortable safe amount to aim for, and a small dog or a berry ingestion is the higher-risk case.
This is not a wait-and-see plant beyond a tiny leaf nibble. Berry ingestion or any real amount warrants a call rather than a guess.
Any berries eaten, a large amount, a small dog, or signs of vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy, or yellowing of the gums or eyes.
- ASPCA APCC, toxic and non-toxic plants: lantana
- Pet Poison Helpline, lantana (pentacyclic triterpenoids, liver injury)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: toxic and non-toxic plants
- Merck Veterinary Manual: overview of household hazard toxicoses in animals