If an animal has eaten this plant, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is (888) 426-4435, as printed on the record this page reproduces. A consultation fee may apply.
This page quotes a published document. Everything below in quotation marks is copied word for word from ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: American Bittersweet, published by ASPCA APCC and retrieved on 2026-09-16. The quotations are excerpts; the document itself is linked and is the authority. Nothing has been reworded.
According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center record, American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens, family Celastraceae) is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Toxic principles: Cardenolides, alkaloids. Clinical signs listed: Vomiting (not horses), diarrhea, seizures (rare), weakness. The record was retrieved on 2026-09-16 and is linked below.
The record
- Scientific name
- Celastrus scandens
- Family
- Celastraceae
- Additional common names
- Bittersweet, Waxwork, Shrubby Bittersweet, False Bittersweet, Climbing Bittersweet
- Toxicity
- Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses
- Toxic principles
- Cardenolides, alkaloids
- Clinical signs
- Vomiting (not horses), diarrhea, seizures (rare), weakness
Where this comes from
This is the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center record for American Bittersweet, at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/american-bittersweet, retrieved on 2026-09-16. The fields above are the record’s own, shown without change. The ASPCA keeps the record current; the page here is a copy from that date.
This page is information, not a prescription. The right dose for an animal depends on its weight, its age, what else it is taking and what is wrong with it. Those are judgements only the veterinarian who has examined your animal can make. Ring your practice before giving anything.
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: American BittersweetASPCA APCC · retrieved 2026-09-16
“Vomiting (not horses), diarrhea, seizures (rare), weakness” (Clinical Signs)
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