---
title: "Can dogs and cats eat lilies?"
description: "Lilies and pets: toxic — treat as an emergency. What it does, whether the dose matters, and how dogs, cats, rabbits and birds differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lilies/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can pets eat lilies?

**Lilies: Toxic — treat as an emergency**

Dogs: Risky · Cats: Toxic · Rabbits: Risky

> If this has already been eaten, ring your vet or an animal poison control line now rather than waiting for signs to appear — for several of these the window in which treatment works closes before the animal looks unwell. Do not try to make the animal sick at home: home emetics are dangerous for corrosive and petroleum substances and for an animal already showing signs, and salt-based ones have themselves proved fatal.

## By animal

| Animal | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dogs | Risky | True lilies cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs rather than kidney failure. |
| Cats | Toxic | Every part is lethal to cats, including the pollen and the water in the vase. Acute kidney failure. |
| Rabbits | Risky | Avoid. |

## What it actually does

True lilies — Lilium and Hemerocallis, which includes Easter, tiger, stargazer and day lilies — cause acute kidney failure in cats and the toxic principle is still not identified. The dose required is tiny: a cat that brushes past the flower and grooms pollen off its coat, or drinks vase water, has had an exposure. It is not a food and it is here because it is the single most common lethal poisoning of household cats, and because cut flowers arrive in homes as gifts from people who do not know.

No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.

## The bit that is usually got wrong

> Peace lilies, calla lilies and lily of the valley are not true lilies and cause different problems. The Lilium and Hemerocallis ones are the kidney-failure risk, and no cat household should have them.

> Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.

## Other

| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dog food, for a cat | Not safe | In moderation | Not safe |

## Common questions

### Can dogs eat lilies?

Risky — depends on amount or preparation. True lilies cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs rather than kidney failure.

### Can cats eat lilies?

Toxic — treat as an emergency. Every part is lethal to cats, including the pollen and the water in the vase. Acute kidney failure.

### What does lilies actually do?

True lilies — Lilium and Hemerocallis, which includes Easter, tiger, stargazer and day lilies — cause acute kidney failure in cats and the toxic principle is still not identified. The dose required is tiny: a cat that brushes past the flower and grooms pollen off its coat, or drinks vase water, has had an exposure. It is not a food and it is here because it is the single most common lethal poisoning of household cats, and because cut flowers arrive in homes as gifts from people who do not know.

### What should I do if my pet has eaten it?

Call your vet or an animal poison control line now, rather than waiting for signs. Do not try to make the animal sick at home.

## Related pages

- [Can pets eat dog food, for a cat?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog-food-for-cats/)
- [Can pets eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/)
- [Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/grapes/)
- [Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/)
- [Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/)
- [Everything, for dogs](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/)
- [Everything, for cats](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/)

## Sources

- MSD/Merck Veterinary Manual — Merck & Co. (https://www.merckvetmanual.com/)