Kratom Toxicity in Dogs and Cats: Signs, Risk and What to Do

Most pet owners have never thought twice about kratom and their pets. It is a human supplement, often sold in health food stores and online, and it sits on a shelf or counter like any other powder or capsule. But dogs, particularly, find ways into things their owners never anticipated, and kratom has been showing up in veterinary emergency rooms with increasing frequency. What happens when a dog or cat eats it, and what should you do, is now a real and urgent clinical question.

What Kratom Is and Why Pets Are Getting Into It

Kratom is derived from Mitragyna speciosa, a tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. For decades it has been used traditionally in parts of Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as both a stimulant in low doses and a pain reliever or sedative in higher doses. In the US, it is sold as a dietary supplement in powder, capsule, tablet, liquid, and increasingly, edible forms including gummies and chocolate products.

That last point matters a great deal for pet owners. Dogs are drawn to food-flavored products, and kratom gummies, chocolates, and flavored capsules are exactly the kind of thing a dog will seek out and consume quickly if left accessible. Dr. Justine Lee, writing for VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education, highlights that edible forms of kratom are a significant driver of pet exposures precisely because dogs are attracted to them. A bag of kratom gummies left on a coffee table is a realistic risk in any household where kratom is used.

Kratom's legal status in the US adds to the complexity. It is federally unregulated as of 2026, legal in most states though banned in several, and sold widely both online and in physical stores. As use has grown among humans seeking alternatives for pain management, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal, the amount of kratom in American homes has grown proportionally, and with it, pet exposure risk.

Why Kratom Is Toxic to Pets

Kratom contains over 40 different alkaloids. The two that matter most clinically are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center notes that mitragynine is the most abundant, comprising approximately 12 to 66% of the total alkaloid content of the plant. It is metabolized in the liver into 7-hydroxymitragynine, which is also present in the plant itself at low concentrations, under 2% of total alkaloids.

These alkaloids act on multiple receptor systems simultaneously. At low doses, they have stimulant-like effects by acting on adrenergic receptors. At higher doses, they act on opioid receptors, particularly mu-opioid receptors, producing sedation, pain relief, and in overdose, respiratory depression. They also interact with serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, which helps explain the variable clinical picture seen in exposed animals.

One of the complicating features of kratom toxicity is the dose-response variability. Dr. Lee at VETgirl points out that clinical signs in the ASPCA database have been documented at doses as low as 0.15 mg/kg. Product concentration also varies enormously across commercial products, with extracts carrying far higher alkaloid concentrations per gram than raw leaf powder. This means there is no reliable "safe" amount, and the amount consumed does not always predict how severely a pet will be affected.

The 400% Rise in Pet Kratom Cases

The scale of the problem changed significantly in 2025. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center recorded a nearly 400% increase in reported pet kratom exposure cases in 2025 compared to 2024. This is not a marginal uptick. It represents a genuine public health shift in what veterinary emergency clinicians are seeing.

The academic record behind this trend is also growing. A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in April 2026, authored by researchers from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, described 139 companion animal kratom exposures logged in the ASPCA database between February 2014 and December 2024. Of those, 128 were dogs, 9 were cats, and there was one pig and one rabbit.

The study authors, Drs. Elizabeth A. Maxwell, Roman A. Mirra, and Anna Jeffers, concluded that "veterinarians should consider kratom exposure in the differential for nonspecific lethargy, vocalization, or nausea, especially in states where kratom is legal." That is now the standard of care guidance: kratom needs to be on the list of possibilities when a dog comes in acting sedated and the owner has not mentioned anything obvious.

Signs of Kratom Toxicity in Dogs

Based on the JAVMA study's analysis of 128 dog cases, the most common clinical signs are:

• Lethargy, weakness, or sedation (the most common, seen across dose ranges)
• Vocalization (whimpering, whining, or crying that seems out of character)
• Hypersalivation or lip licking (often a sign of nausea)
• Vomiting
• Tremors or muscle twitching
• Incoordination or stumbling
• Elevated heart rate (tachycardia)
• Agitation (especially at lower, more stimulant-level doses)
• Seizures (in more severe cases)

Signs typically appear within 30 to 90 minutes of ingestion but can sometimes take longer, particularly with capsule forms where dissolution in the stomach adds a delay. The sedation and weakness can look very similar to other toxin exposures, including THC and certain medications, which is why telling the vet exactly what your dog had access to is critical for directing treatment.

Signs of Kratom Toxicity in Cats

Cats show a somewhat different clinical picture. From the same JAVMA study, the most reported signs in cats were:

• Lethargy
• Mydriasis (dilated pupils, even in normal or bright light)
• Vocalization

Cats are worth special attention from a toxicology standpoint. Their liver has limited capacity for certain types of conjugation reactions that dogs handle more readily, which can mean alkaloid metabolites accumulate differently and potentially more severely. This is one reason why cats should never be assumed to handle something safely just because dogs tolerate it at a given dose. If your cat has had access to kratom in any form, treat it as an emergency regardless of how they appear initially.

Which Forms Are Most Dangerous

Not all kratom products carry equal risk to pets, though all should be treated as dangerous.

Concentrated extracts are the highest risk by weight. Extract products can contain 5 to 30 times or more the alkaloid concentration of standard leaf powder. A small amount of a high-extract product can deliver a dose equivalent to a much larger quantity of regular powder. Dr. Lee at VETgirl specifically flags extract variability as a significant clinical challenge, since the exact mg/kg a pet received is often impossible to calculate.

Gummies, chocolates, and other edibles are particularly high risk because dogs actively seek them out. The food flavoring removes the natural deterrent that might cause a dog to avoid a bitter powder. A dog can consume a meaningful dose of kratom gummies very quickly before an owner notices.

Loose powder is still dangerous if a dog or cat gets into it, but the bitter taste may limit voluntary consumption compared to flavored products.

Capsules carry a delayed risk: a dog that swallows multiple capsules whole may have a delayed onset of signs while the capsule material dissolves in the stomach.

What to Do If Your Pet Ate Kratom

Time matters. Here is the sequence to follow:

What Treatment Looks Like

There is no specific antidote for kratom toxicity in pets. Treatment is supportive, meaning the veterinary team manages the symptoms as they arise while the body processes and eliminates the alkaloids.

If the ingestion was recent and the pet is alert enough to safely tolerate the procedure, a veterinarian may induce vomiting to limit further absorption. Activated charcoal, which binds toxins in the gastrointestinal tract, may be administered to reduce how much is absorbed into the bloodstream. Whether these interventions are appropriate depends on the time elapsed since ingestion, the pet's current clinical status, and the form of kratom consumed.

Beyond decontamination, treatment typically involves intravenous fluid therapy to support blood pressure and organ perfusion, close monitoring of heart rate and rhythm, temperature management (kratom can cause hyperthermia or hypothermia depending on the dose), anti-seizure medication if tremors or seizures occur, and anti-nausea medication.

The question of whether naloxone (the opioid reversal drug) can help has been raised, given kratom's opioid receptor activity. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that "further evaluation is needed to determine whether naloxone would be effective in animals" with kratom toxicity. There are case reports of it helping in some human kratom overdoses, but its use in veterinary cases is not yet established as standard protocol.

Prognosis with prompt veterinary care is generally good for most cases. The JAVMA study found that the majority of documented animal exposures resulted in clinical signs that resolved with supportive care. However, severe cases involving high doses, concentrated extracts, or delayed treatment carry higher risk, and outcomes in those situations depend heavily on how quickly the animal receives appropriate care.

For more information on general pet poisoning protocols and which household items pose the most significant risks to dogs, our guide to dog poison prevention covers the full landscape, and our emergency vet signs guide helps you assess when a situation needs immediate care.