Is Black Nightshade safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Toxic |
| Dogs | Toxic |
Severity: Moderate
Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic
Black nightshade is a common, unglamorous yard and garden weed across much of the US, including California - it turns up in disturbed soil, vegetable beds, and along fence lines, and its small black berries can look enough like blueberries to tempt a curious dog or a kitten that hunts in the yard. Unlike the deliberately planted species in this packet, exposure here is almost always incidental: a weed nobody planted, growing where nobody was watching.
ASPCA lists Nightshade (Solanum spp., family Solanaceae, common names including Deadly Nightshade and Black Nightshade) as toxic to both dogs and cats. The toxic principles are solanine, saponins, and atropine-like substances, and documented clinical signs are hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, drowsiness, CNS depression, confusion, behavioral change, weakness, dilated pupils, and a slow heart rate. None of that list includes death or coma, so this record is kept at moderate severity rather than escalated. If a pet has eaten nightshade berries or foliage and is drooling, vomiting, unusually drowsy, or acting confused, contact ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
Facts and examples
- ASPCA lists Nightshade (Solanum spp., family Solanaceae, common names including Deadly Nightshade and Black Nightshade) as toxic to both dogs and cats, toxic principles solanine, saponins, and atropine-like substances, with clinical signs of hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, drowsiness, CNS depression, confusion, behavioral change, weakness, dilated pupils, and slow heart rate. (source, verified 2026-07-29)
Verdict re-verified against aspca.org, 2026-07-29 — confirmed unchanged. Source
This page is for general information only and is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your pet is showing symptoms, or you think they ate or touched something dangerous, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control hotline immediately.
Last verified 2026-07-29