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My dog ate a toxic plant. Why is he sick with diarrhea, peeing inside, and swollen testicles?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | English Mastiff | Male | 210 lbs

Our male Mastif has had severe bouts of explosive diarea and has been urinated inside several times and he does not have accidents inside. We caught him yesterday eating a nandina plant and now have it blocked but his balls are severally swollen and have puss on them. Please advise

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Amy Poole, DVM

Answered By Amy Poole, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 1st, 2018

Poor Thor! I would definitely recommend you take him in to your vet as soon as possible. Nandina plants are toxic to dogs and can cause weakness, seizures, incoordination, coma, and even death. He definitely needs to be evaluated for potential toxicity as well as treated for the diarrhea. His urination could be due to a urinary tract infection or something else going on. Based on the picture of his scrotum, it looks like he has a dermatitis, or infection of the skin. This can be very uncomfortable in dogs. For that, he likely needs an antibiotics and an e-collar to keep him from licking the area and making it worse. I'm so sorry Thor is having so many issues. I hope he does well and is back to normal soon!
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