Tulip Bulb
ToxicTulips are toxic to dogs and the ASPCA notes the highest concentration of toxin is in the bulb. Tulipalin A and B cause vomiting, depression, diarrhea and hypersalivation.
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.
- Excessive salivation
- Mouth irritation
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Reduced activity and responsiveness
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Dehydration
- Intestinal blockage
More about this food
The ASPCA lists tulips as toxic to dogs, names the toxic principle as tulipalin A and B, and states plainly that there is the "highest concentration of toxin in bulb." The clinical signs are "vomiting, depression, diarrhea, hypersalivation." That single line is why nibbling a petal in the garden and digging up and crunching a bulb are two different events.
Tulipalin is an irritant on contact as well as on ingestion. A chewed bulb burns the lips, gums and tongue, so you see lip-smacking and heavy drooling first, then vomiting and diarrhea. Dogs often go quiet and off their food, and some hunch with abdominal pain. A dog that excavated several bulbs can get severe enough GI irritation to stop keeping water down, which brings dehydration into the picture. There is a mechanical hazard too: a bulb swallowed whole can obstruct a small dog.
The US pattern is seasonal. Fall bulb-planting is the peak, with mesh sacks from the garden center sitting in the garage or mudroom, bulbs staged in a tray before planting, and freshly planted beds that a digger revisits. Spring brings the second wave in public tulip beds and containers. Bulbs are frequently treated with fungicide, so what your dog ate may be more than the plant, and the packaging is worth keeping.
Call your veterinarian, an emergency clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, and bring the remaining bulbs and the bag. Tell them how many, when, whether chewed or swallowed whole, and whether the label lists a fungicide or insecticide treatment. Go in without waiting if vomiting repeats, drooling continues, your dog refuses food, or she guards her belly and stops passing stool. Do not induce vomiting at home: an irritant burns the esophagus a second time on the way up, and a bulb fragment can lodge. Decontamination, activated charcoal, IV fluids and imaging for obstruction are veterinary decisions.
Frequently asked questions
- He only ate a petal, not the bulb.
- That is the better version, since the ASPCA notes the toxin is most concentrated in the bulb. It is not zero, though, so watch for vomiting, diarrhea and drooling and call your veterinarian if any of it shows up.
- She tore open the bag of bulbs I bought for planting.
- This is the case that worries vets most. Count how many are missing, check the packaging for a fungicide or insecticide treatment, and call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 with the bag in hand.
- I think a bulb went down whole.
- Then obstruction has to be ruled out on top of the toxicity, especially in a small dog. Repeated unproductive retching, a painful belly, or no stool passing makes this an emergency; go to a clinic rather than watching at home.