Is Aloe Vera safe for cats and dogs?

What the ASPCA lists for Aloe Vera

The ASPCA records Aloe Vera (Aloe vera, family Liliaceae) as Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. Toxic principle: Saponins, anthraquinones. Clinical signs listed: Vomiting (not horses), lethargy, diarrhea. The gel is considered edible. Read the ASPCA entry.

The last sentence of the ASPCA's own clinical signs is the one people miss: the gel is considered edible. The toxic principles are saponins and anthraquinones, and they sit in the bitter yellow latex just under the leaf skin, not in the clear gel at the center. That is why aloe can be a burn remedy for humans and still be listed as toxic for a dog, which does not peel the leaf before eating it. In practice a chewed leaf means the latex too. Note also that the entry marks vomiting for dogs and cats but not for horses, even though all three are listed toxic.

Three overlapping aloe entries in the database do not agree with each other, so the one you land on changes the answer you get. This page cites the entry titled Aloe, filed as Aloe vera, which lists Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses. A second entry, Barbados Aloe, filed as Aloe barbadensis, an older name for the same plant, lists the same three species and the same principles. A third, True Aloe, also filed as Aloe barbadensis, lists only Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, records different principles as anthraquinones, anthracene, glycosides (aloin), and gives different signs: vomiting, change in urine color (red). Same plant, three records, three slightly different answers. Treat the plant as toxic to all three species, which is what the entry under its current accepted name says.

What this verdict does and does not mean

Being non-toxic does not mean a plant is chew-proof: even pet-safe houseplants can upset a cat's or dog's stomach if they eat a large amount, simply because it is plant matter. Most toxic houseplants cause irritant-level symptoms, such as drooling, mouth soreness, or a mild upset stomach, rather than a medical emergency. A small number of plants are a genuine emergency, most notably true lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis species) for cats, which can cause fatal kidney failure from even a small amount of pollen or a nibbled leaf. If you are ever in doubt, or your pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.

Safer alternatives

Looking for something with a similar look and habit that is pet-safe instead?

• African Violet, see the care guide.
• Air Plant, see the care guide.
• Echeveria, see the care guide.

More on pet safety

Read the full care guide for Aloe Vera, browse the pet safety checker for other plants, or identify a plant from a photo first if you are not sure what you have. Verdicts here follow the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.