With their eye-catching orange speckled flowers, long stems, and strappy leaves, Tiger lilies (Lilium tigrinum or Lilium lancifolium) are stunning additions to any garden. If you have or are planning on getting some tiger lilies in your garden or home, you might be wondering if these plants pose a threat to you, your family, or your pets.
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Tiger lilies are non-toxic to humans. They are non-toxic to most animals until a certain point. Ingestion of too much of this Lilly can cause gastrointestinal discomforts. Tiger lilies are highly toxic to cats. Consumption of even one or two flower petals can result in severe illness and even death.
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Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Humans?
Tiger lilies are considered non-toxic to humans. Their leaves, bulbs, flower petals, and buds are edible and used in various cooked or raw meals and food decorations. These Lilies are often grown for their tasty bulbs, used in multiple meals in Japan and Asia. The overall consensus is that tiger lily bulbs taste like turnips.
Many sources on the internet state that the pollen of the tiger lily is toxic to humans. Most medicinal books do not mention the pollen, and there have been individuals who have sampled small doses of the pollen with no adverse side effects noted.
As with most things, if consumed in large doses, tiger lily pollen might cause some adverse side effects, although one should probably refrain from consuming this part of the tiger lily for safety purposes.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Dogs?
Overall, tiger lilies are considered non-toxic to dogs. Although, if your dogs decide to eat more than a few leaves or a flower or two, they can develop specific adverse reactions. There are no recorded deaths of dogs from tiger lily poisoning.
If your dog does start to suffer from tiger lily poisoning symptoms, they will usually present as mild to moderate gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. These, in turn, can become weakness, halitosis, dehydration, lethargy, renal failure, and seizures.
It would be best for you to get your dog to a vet as soon as possible if you are concerned that your dog may be suffering from tiger lily poisoning, as treatment should begin within 24 hours after tiger lily ingestion.
The exact toxin present in tiger lilies is unknown, and therefore poisoning is treated symptomatically. Treatments could include having your dog put on a drip, administration of activated charcoal, and administration of additional medications.
As tiger lily toxicity in dogs is considered mild, your furry friend should recover relatively quickly if they were in a good state of health before ingestion took place.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Cats?
Tiger lilies are considered highly toxic to cats. Even if your cat only eats one petal or drinks the water that has seeped through the lilies pot or from its vase, it can have a severe reaction that could lead to death.
The entire tiger lily is poisonous to cats but beware of the flowers, which are the most toxic if consumed. If your cat has ingested some tiger lily, get them to your nearest vet as soon as possible. They will need to get your cat started on treatment for tiger lily poisoning within one to two hours after consumption.
The tiger lily is so poisonous to cats that even if your cat consumes two leaves, it could be fatal. Symptoms of tiger lily poisoning start with excessive salivation and vomiting within 3 hours after consumption. These symptoms typically subside after 4 – 6 hours, and you might think that your cat is over the worst of it. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The next bout of symptoms typically occurs around 24 hours later. These symptoms include increased protein levels in their urine, kidney damage, excessive urination, and dehydration, and your cat might even start to vomit again at this stage.
As these symptoms develop, your cats’ kidneys will begin to fail, they will get progressively weaker, and eventually, they will succumb to the poisoning if not treated in time.
Treatment for tiger lily poisoning in cats can include fluid therapy, induced vomiting, and activated charcoal. If your cat has gone into renal failure, it might receive hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Horses?
Tiger lilies are considered non-toxic to horses, and if they happen to eat some of the plants or flowers, they shouldn’t cause any adverse reactions. Keep in mind the quantity of tiger lily your horse ingests, as they might experience some minor symptoms if they overindulge.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Livestock?
There is no mention of tiger lilies being poisonous to cows, sheep, or goats. Tiger lilies do not appear when looking through the lists of toxic plants to these animals. If consumed in small doses, one can assume that tiger lilies should be safe for livestock to eat. You might expect your animal to get mild gastrointestinal discomfort if consumed in large quantities.
In these situations, your best move would be to keep fresh water and food near and keep your eye on them, calling your local vet if you notice that they appear ill for an extended period.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Pigs?
There are no reports of tiger lilies being poisonous to pigs. This lack of information could be due to tiger lilies not readily available to most pigs. The best practice would probably be to keep tiger lilies out of reach of pigs. Chances are they would have the same reactions as other animals. Eating a small amount should be fine, but more significant amounts might cause some gastrointestinal upset.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Rabbits?
Luckily, like dogs, tiger lilies are not toxic to rabbits. If your little flush ball only eats a small amount of this plant, it should be fine. In larger doses, you can probably expect your bunny to get a bit of a tummy ache. Keep your eye on them, and if this happens, maybe give them some wet lettuce and some new hay, and they should be fine. If they stop eating for an extended period, you should contact your local vet for further instructions.
Are Tiger Lilies Poisonous To Deer?
Overall, reports show that deer prefer not to eat tiger lilies. This aversion could have something to do with the fact that tiger lilies do not have a pungent smell and therefore do not attract the deers’ attention or just that they don’t like the taste. Tiger lilies are non-toxic to deer who might nibble on some leaves or petals if there isn’t anything else around for them.
