Is a Cedar Tree Toxic to a Dog?

Keep a close eye on your dog if you're in a tree-filled area.
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If you have a pooch and a yard, you should avoid planting one species of cedar tree: the white cedar. This tree has a lot of other names, so it could be easy to misidentify it. ASPCA Animal Poison Control lists it as a bead tree, but it also goes by the following names: China ball, chinaberry, paradise, Persian lilac, Japanese bead, pride of India and Texas umbrella tree. Other cedar tree species are not toxic for a pup, but eating the bark or garden mulch made from cedar is still likely to make him ill.

Poisonous Parts

This type of cedar contains meliatoxins. It is a flowering tree with berries. The berries are the most toxic part of the tree, but the leaves, flowers and bark will also make your pet ill.

Symptoms of Poisoning

If your pooch eats any part of this tree, he may display a number of symptoms. Diarrhea, vomiting and salivation are among the first signs, but he may also develop overall weakness and have seizures. The ASPCA advises you to get your pup to a vet as soon as possible if you think he may have eaten any part of the white cedar.