Golden Pothos
ToxicThe ASPCA lists golden pothos as toxic to dogs. Its leaves and stems hold insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that embed in the mouth on the first chew, causing intense burning, heavy drooling, and trouble swallowing.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Mouth irritation
- Mouth pain
- Drooling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Pawing at the mouth
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Facial swelling
- Difficulty breathing
More about this food
Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum), sold as devil's ivy, taro vine, or just "pothos," is on the ASPCA's toxic plant list for dogs. The toxic principle is insoluble calcium oxalate. The crystals sit inside the leaf and stem tissue in needle-shaped bundles, so the injury is mechanical and immediate: the moment your dog bites down, the crystals drive into the lips, tongue, and gums. This is not a poison that gets absorbed and destroys an organ days later. It hurts right where the chewing happened, right away.
The ASPCA lists the signs as oral irritation, intense burning of the mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. Because there is no absorption step, there is essentially no lag time. A dog pawing at its face next to a knocked-over planter, drooling ropes onto the floor, or backing away from a full food bowl has already chewed. What you watch for next is swelling of the lips and face and any change in breathing or in the ability to swallow saliva. Airway swelling is uncommon, but when it happens it is an emergency.
Pothos is the plant nobody thinks of as a plant. It trails off bookshelves and refrigerator tops, hangs in macramé in apartments, sits in water-filled jars on windowsills, and dominates office cubicles. Vines grow until they reach the floor, which puts them exactly at nose height for a bored dog.
Here is what to do now. Gently clear any plant material still in the mouth, rinse the mouth with cool water, and offer cool water to drink. Photograph the chewed plant so the clinic knows what and roughly how much. Then call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 — a consultation fee applies and they will give your vet a case number. Do not induce vomiting at home; bringing that material back up drags the same crystals across the esophagus and mouth a second time. Pain control, anti-inflammatories, fluids, and an airway check are veterinary calls.
Frequently asked questions
- My dog chewed a pothos leaf and spat it out. Do I still need a vet?
- Probably yes, because the crystals embed on contact, so spitting it out does not undo the injury. Call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 if your dog is drooling, pawing at the mouth, or refusing food. Go in immediately for facial swelling or any change in breathing.
- Is the water from a pothos propagation jar dangerous?
- Calcium oxalate is insoluble, so the water itself is far less of a concern than chewed leaf tissue. The real risk is that root and leaf fragments floating in the jar get swallowed, and standing water is not clean. Mention it to your vet if signs appear.
- Can I just move the plant higher instead of getting rid of it?
- Height works only if the vines cannot reach down to nose level, which pothos will eventually do. Keep the trailing stems trimmed short and sweep up dropped leaves. Monstera is in the same family with the same crystals, so move both.