Yew is the most dangerous garden plant in Europe — all parts except the red berry flesh can kill within an hour.
Yew contains taxine alkaloids that cause sudden cardiac arrest, often with little or no warning.
Taxines are calcium and sodium channel antagonists in cardiac muscle. They depress conduction so severely that the heart can stop without progressive warning signs. Needles, bark, seeds and the bright red 'aril' seed are all extremely toxic; only the soft red flesh around the seed is non-toxic.
Sources
As little as 0.5–2 g of yew leaves per kg body weight can be lethal — for a 10 kg dog, this is a single mouthful. Sudden death is common before symptoms develop.
Contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal poison hotline immediately. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed by a vet.
callFind Emergency Vet