{"id":"elephant-ear","common_names":["Elephant Ear","Elephant's Ear","Taro","Malanga","Dasheen","Alocasia","Caladium","Colocasia"],"scientific_name":"Alocasia / Colocasia / Caladium / Xanthosoma (Araceae)","urls":{"plant":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/elephant-ear","cats":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/elephant-ear/cats","dogs":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/elephant-ear/dogs","data":"https://verdapaw.com/plants/elephant-ear/data.json"},"toxicity":{"cat":{"severity":2,"grade":"S2 Irritant","verdict_sentence":"Elephant ear — the common name for several Araceae genera, including Alocasia, Colocasia, and Caladium — is an irritant to cats (S2 Irritant): chewing it releases insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and gut, with drooling, oral pain, and vomiting, and very rarely swelling of the upper airway that makes breathing difficult.","toxic_principles":["insoluble calcium oxalates"],"toxic_parts":["plant tissue — crystals released when chewed or bitten"],"symptoms":[{"sign":"oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"oral pain","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"excessive drooling","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"pawing at the mouth or face (Pet Poison Helpline, Caladium)","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"poor appetite","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"retching","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"vomiting","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"difficulty swallowing","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"swelling of the upper airway, making breathing difficult (very rare)","onset":"not specified in source"}],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/elephant-ears/","name":"PPH","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/alocasia/","name":"PPH","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/caladium/","name":"PPH","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/alocasia","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/caladium","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/elephant-ears-caladium-hortulanum","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/taro-caladium-hortulanum","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/elephant-ears-colocasia-esculenta","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/malanga","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/taro-colocasia-esculenta","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"}],"reviewed_by":"Zhe Li","reviewed_at":"2026-09-27"},"dog":{"severity":2,"grade":"S2 Irritant","verdict_sentence":"Elephant ear — the common name for several Araceae genera, including Alocasia, Colocasia, and Caladium — is an irritant to dogs (S2 Irritant): chewing it releases insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth and gut, with drooling, oral pain, and vomiting, and very rarely swelling of the upper airway that makes breathing difficult.","toxic_principles":["insoluble calcium oxalates"],"toxic_parts":["plant tissue — crystals released when chewed or bitten"],"symptoms":[{"sign":"oral irritation; intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"pain and swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"oral pain","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"excessive drooling","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"pawing at the mouth or face (Pet Poison Helpline, Caladium)","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"poor appetite","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"retching","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"vomiting","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"difficulty swallowing","onset":"not specified in source"},{"sign":"swelling of the upper airway, making breathing difficult (very rare)","onset":"not specified in source"}],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/elephant-ears/","name":"PPH","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/alocasia/","name":"PPH","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/caladium/","name":"PPH","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/alocasia","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/caladium","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/elephant-ears-caladium-hortulanum","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/taro-caladium-hortulanum","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/elephant-ears-colocasia-esculenta","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/malanga","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"},{"url":"https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/taro-colocasia-esculenta","name":"ASPCA","accessed_at":"2026-09-27"}],"reviewed_by":"Zhe Li","reviewed_at":"2026-09-27"}},"license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","terms":"Free to reuse with attribution to Verdapaw and a link to the plant page."},"cite_as":"Verdapaw Plant × Pet Safety Index, verdapaw.com/plants/elephant-ear, reviewed 2026-09-27"}