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This guide is general education for pet owners. If your pet has urgent symptoms, possible poisoning, injury, breathing trouble, collapse, severe pain, or sudden decline, contact a licensed veterinarian or local emergency service.
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Dog Ate Foxglove: Digitalis Cardiac Glycoside Triage
Clinical Verdict: EXTREMELY FATAL (All Plant Parts)
Dogs CANNOT consume any part of a Foxglove plant. Foxglove is the natural source of pharmaceutical digitalis (digoxin); ingestion causes severe cardiotoxicity and sudden cardiac arrest.
Toxic Mechanism & Agent
- Toxic Agent: Digitalis Cardiac Glycosides (Digitoxin, Digoxin, Gitoxin)
- Mechanism of Action: Inactivates myocardial sodium-potassium ATPase, causing severe intracellular sodium accumulation, calcium overload, extreme vagal stimulation, and fatal ventricular fibrillation.
Clinical Signs & Timeline
- Onset Time: Within 45 minutes to 4 hours post ingestion.
- Primary Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, profound lethargy, severe irregular heart rhythms, high-grade AV block, dilated pupils, collapse, convulsions, sudden death.
Emergency Triage Protocol
IMMEDIATE ER VISIT
Continuous multi-lead ECG monitoring in an ICU. Treatment includes decontamination, IV fluid therapy without calcium, atropine for bradycardia, phenytoin or lidocaine for arrhythmias, and DigiFab antibody fragments.
Strict Rule S1 Warning
NEVER induce vomiting at home using hydrogen peroxide without direct instruction from a DVM. Inappropriate emesis can cause fatal aspiration pneumonia, esophageal chemical burns, or gastric rupture. Always seek professional veterinary diagnosis.
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