Is Lavender Toxic to Dogs?
Yes — the ASPCA lists lavender as toxic to dogs.
What the ASPCA publishes
- Scientific name
- Lavendula angustifolia
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Also called
- Common Lavender, English Lavender
- Toxic to dogs
- Yes
- Toxic to cats
- Yes
- Toxic principle
- Linlool, linalyl acetate
Clinical signs, in the ASPCA’s words
“Nausea, vomiting (not in horses), inappetant”
⚠️ The ASPCA publishes no threshold for any of these plants — no “this much is a problem”. We don’t invent one.
Common questions
Is lavender toxic to dogs?
Yes — the ASPCA lists lavender as toxic to dogs.
What happens if a dog eats lavender?
The ASPCA publishes this as the clinical signs, word for word: “Nausea, vomiting (not in horses), inappetant” It names the toxic principle as “Linlool, linalyl acetate”. We reprint their wording rather than paraphrasing it — a paraphrase is what gets quoted back with the caution removed. It does not tell you how much is too much, and neither do we: the ASPCA publishes no threshold for any of these plants.
Is lavender safe for dogs?
Not according to the ASPCA, which lists lavender as toxic to dogs and publishes clinical signs for it. That is the answer to the question as asked; we are not going to soften it, and we are not going to tell you a small amount is fine either — the ASPCA publishes no threshold for any of these plants.
My dog ate lavender — what now?
Call your veterinarian, or the ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. Note which plant, which part, and roughly how much. This page reports what the ASPCA publishes about lavender; it cannot tell you whether your dog is affected, and no amount is described here as safe.
Other plants the ASPCA lists as toxic to dogs
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If your dog has chewed lavender, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435. This page reports what the ASPCA publishes; it is not a diagnosis, and no amount is described here as safe.
Verified on . Based on ASPCA Poison Control (ASPCA, 24-hour emergency line, accessed 2026-07-28) and Kitten Age & Weight Chart (ASPCA Pro, 2023 (golden-test source, not used to build the calculation)). See the method.