Is Yew safe for cats and dogs?
| Species | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cats | Toxic |
| Dogs | Toxic |
Severity: Severe
Read the full first-aid guide: what to do if your pet ate something toxic
Yew (Taxus spp. — commonly Taxus baccata, Taxus cuspidata, and the hybrid Taxus x media) is one of the most heavily planted evergreen shrubs in American residential landscaping. It's a default choice for foundation plantings against the front of a house and for clipped hedges along walkways and property lines, sold at garden centers simply as "yew." It's especially common in the Midwest and Northeast, where its shade tolerance and forgiving response to pruning make it a go-to for foundation beds. Because it's evergreen, exposure risk is a year-round fixture of the yard rather than a seasonal one.
For a dog, the most realistic exposure is simply chewing on a branch or twig during normal yard play, since a yew hedge is often within easy reach right next to a walkway or front door. A cat with outdoor access, or one that encounters a clipped branch brought inside, faces the same risk. ASPCA classifies yew as toxic to both dogs and cats, with taxine A and B alkaloids and a volatile oil present throughout the plant as the toxic principle. Pet Poison Helpline adds an important detail: the fleshy red aril surrounding the yew's seed is itself non-toxic, but the small seed inside it is highly toxic — so the berry-like fruit is not the safe part it might appear to be.
Clinical signs can escalate quickly. ASPCA lists early warning signs in dogs as muscular tremors, difficulty breathing, and seizures, with the potential for sudden death from acute cardiac failure, while Pet Poison Helpline separately describes gastrointestinal distress, neurological signs, and reduced heart and respiratory rate preceding death in small animals. Because yew poisoning can be rapidly fatal, a chewed branch or a cat caught near a broken stem should prompt an immediate call to ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) or Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) rather than waiting for symptoms.
Facts and examples
- ASPCA lists yew (Taxus spp.) as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, with taxine A and B alkaloids and a volatile oil as the toxic principle. (source, verified 2026-07-28)
- Early clinical signs in dogs include muscular tremors and difficulty breathing (dyspnea), with seizures and the potential for sudden death from acute cardiac failure. (source, verified 2026-07-28)
- The fleshy red aril around the yew's fruit is non-toxic, but the small seed inside it is highly toxic, and ingestion of any amount or part of the plant by small animals can cause gastrointestinal distress, neurological signs, and death. (source, verified 2026-07-28)
Verdict re-verified against aspca.org, 2026-07-28 — 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 2026-07-28