Introduction

• Oleander  is a perennial, evergreen shrub, native to the Mediterranean region, and now widely distributed in most tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world.
• Oleander is used as an ornamental plant in landscaping and as potting plants.
• Leaves are simple, oblong-lanceolate, dark gray-green, leathery, with a prominent midrib and veins, and usually arranged in whorls of three.
• White, pink or red showy flowers grow in clusters in spring and early summer.
• All parts of the plant are toxic, including the dried leaves.
• Humans, livestock, dogs, cats, birds and horses are susceptible to poisoning from oleander.
• Human toxicosis has resulted from inhaling smoke from burning oleander.
• Toxicosis has been reported in dogs that drank water in which oleander has soaked.
• Yellow oleander, found in Australia and Florida, is equally toxic.

Toxicity

Clinical signs

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prognosis

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Markov A K, Payment M F, Hume A S et al (1999) Fructose-1,6-diphosphate in the treatment of oleander toxicity in dogs. Vet Hum Toxicol 41 (1), 9-15 PubMed.
• Langford S D & Boor P J (1996) Oleander toxicity: an examination of human and animal toxic exposures. Toxicology 109 (1), 1-13 PubMed.

Other sources of information

• Galey Francis D (2004) Cardiac Glycosides. In: Clinical Veterinary Toxicology, Konnie H. Plumlee (editor) Mosby.
• Cornell University- Poisonous Plants Informational Database. Website:www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants.
• Guide to Poisonous Plants- Website:www.southcampus.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants.
• Purdue University- Website:http://www.vet.purdue.edu/toxic/cover1.htm