Mistletoe and Holly: Holiday Plants With Real Risk

Mistletoe and holly show up in a lot of homes specifically during the holiday season, often hung within easy reach for decoration, which is exactly when curious pets have the most access to them. The two plants cause different reactions worth distinguishing.

Holly berries and leaves are primarily mechanically irritating — the leaves are spiny and berries can cause drooling, lip-smacking, and head-shaking from irritation, along with vomiting and diarrhea from the saponins they contain. Mistletoe, particularly American mistletoe, contains compounds that can cause more significant vomiting, diarrhea, and in larger ingestions, a drop in heart rate and blood pressure.

Symptoms to watch for: with holly, drooling, pawing at the mouth, and digestive upset. With mistletoe, more pronounced vomiting and diarrhea, plus lethargy or weakness in larger ingestions.

What to do right now: for holly, monitoring at home for typical digestive symptoms is usually reasonable given the relatively mild toxicity profile. For mistletoe, especially a larger ingestion, getting an assessment is worth the extra step given the potential cardiovascular effects.

When it's an emergency: any significant mistletoe ingestion with lethargy or weakness, or holly ingestion severe enough to cause repeated vomiting.

## Related Reading

• Oleander: A Beautiful Plant With a Genuinely Dangerous Reputation
• Chrysanthemums: The Pyrethrin-Containing Flower
• Is Rhubarb Leaf Toxic to Dogs?

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This is general information, not a substitute for an actual assessment of your specific pet, weight, and situation. If you're ever unsure whether something your pet ate needs immediate attention, a quick video vet consultation can tell you in minutes whether to monitor at home or head to a clinic.