Shamrock
Also known as Shamrock Plant, Oxalis. One plant, one grade per pet — the verdicts below are transcribed from primary sources and human-reviewed.
Shamrock (Oxalis) is toxic to cats (S3 Toxic): a small bite causes immediate mouth pain and stomach upset from its soluble calcium oxalates, and the ASPCA lists kidney failure as rare in dogs/cats, possible if significant amounts are eaten — Pet Poison Helpline adds that when large enough quantities are ingested, neurologic signs and kidney injury can follow.
FULL VERDICT →Shamrock (Oxalis) is toxic to dogs (S3 Toxic): a small bite causes immediate mouth pain and stomach upset from its soluble calcium oxalates, and the ASPCA lists kidney failure as rare in dogs/cats, possible if significant amounts are eaten — Pet Poison Helpline adds that when large enough quantities are ingested, neurologic signs and kidney injury can follow.
FULL VERDICT →Care at a glance
What happens if it's eaten
Signs on record for each animal, transcribed from the cited sources.
- immediate oral discomfort and pain
- GI upset and irritation
- salivation
- tremors
- neurologic signs (with large or grazing ingestions)
- excess thirst and urination (with large or grazing ingestions)
- kidney failure / kidney injury (rare in dogs and cats; if significant amounts are eaten)
- immediate oral discomfort and pain
- GI upset and irritation
- salivation
- tremors
- neurologic signs (with large or grazing ingestions)
- excess thirst and urination (with large or grazing ingestions)
- kidney failure / kidney injury (rare in dogs and cats; if significant amounts are eaten)
When to call the vet
Call your vet promptly after any ingestion; go immediately if a large amount was eaten, or if your cat has tremors, is drinking or urinating much more than usual, or seems weak or unsteady.
FULL VERDICT →Call your vet promptly after any ingestion; go immediately if a large amount was eaten, or if your dog has tremors, is drinking or urinating much more than usual, or seems weak or unsteady.
FULL VERDICT →Safe swaps, graded S0
Non-toxic on record for cats — verified against the index at build time.
FAQ
Is a "good luck plant" a shamrock or a snake plant?
It can be either — the ASPCA uses the name for both. Its Shamrock Plant and Good Luck Plant entries are Oxalis, and its Snake Plant entry (Sansevieria trifasciata) lists "Golden Bird's Nest, Mother-in-Law's Tongue, Good Luck Plant" as other names. The two records are not alike: Oxalis is S3 Toxic here, with kidney failure on record in large amounts, while the snake plant is S1 Caution with stomach upset only — see our snake plant verdict. Check the scientific name on the tag before you trust either grade.
Is sorrel the same plant as shamrock?
The two sources answer differently, so we give you both. Pet Poison Helpline says "Shamrock and sorrel are both oxalis species plants and may be similar in appearance." The ASPCA lists "Sorrel" as another name on its Oxalis entries, but it also has a separate "Sorrel" entry for Rumex scutatus — garden sorrel, a different family (Polygonaceae) — which reads: "Small exposures only result in GI upset. Very large amounts can cause weakness, muscle fasciculations, and potentially seizures from hypocalcemia." This page grades Oxalis only; we do not grade the Rumex sorrel. If the tag says Rumex, this page does not apply.
Is a shamrock the same as clover?
Not in our sources. The ASPCA's shamrock entries and Pet Poison Helpline's shamrock page are all Oxalis. Neither source has an entry for clover (Trifolium), including the four-leaf kind, so clover has no grade here — this page covers Oxalis only.