Aloe vera

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include acemannan; aloin and aloe-emodin in latex; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Aloe vera has been used for burns; constipation; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (burns; constipation), the evidence assessment is limited/mixed: Limited evidence for topical burn healing; latex is an effective stimulant laxative but safety concerns outweigh routine use.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

  Mixed findings, product heterogeneity, or indirect evidence are preserved in the detailed profile.

Forms used traditionally

A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.

Cats

• High risk

  Medicine plant (Aloe/true aloe/Barbados aloe) is toxic to cats; no non-toxic preparation or concentration is identified. Reported signs are vomiting and red urine discoloration.

  Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · Unspecified plant material; no preparation or concentration distinctions stated · HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Medicine Plant - ASPCA

Dogs

• High risk

  Medicine plant (Aloe/true aloe/Barbados aloe) is toxic to dogs; no non-toxic preparation or concentration is identified. Reported signs are vomiting and red urine discoloration.

  Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · Unspecified plant material; no preparation or concentration distinctions stated · HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Medicine Plant - ASPCA

• Caution

  Aloe vera / Aloe barbadensis is listed by ASPCA under “Plants Toxic to Dogs.” The page provides no plant-specific toxicology details and no cat-specific evidence.

  Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · Not stated; whole plant or plant group listing only · HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List — Dogs - ASPCA

• Caution

  Ingestion of aloe vera plant material is described as toxic to dogs and may cause gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and diarrhea.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · whole plant · HIGH · poison_control_database · Aloe Vera Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®

Cats & dogs

• Caution

  Aloe vera can cause vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea in pets; route and preparation are not specified.

  Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · not specified · MODERATE · veterinary_hospital_guidance · [PDF] Spring 2020 - VCA Animal Hospitals

• Caution

  Consumption of plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats; the page provides no Aloe vera-specific toxicity classification or clinical signs.

  Intrinsic toxicity · ORAL · plant material; preparation and concentration not specified · HIGH · poison_control_database · Poisonous Plants

• Caution

  ASPCA classifies aloe as toxic to cats and dogs; listed toxic principles are saponins and anthraquinones, with vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea reported after ingestion.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · plant material, preparation unspecified · HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Aloe

• Caution

  Ingestion of the latex from Aloe barbadensis leaves can cause abrupt, severe diarrhea and/or hypoglycemia; vomiting may also occur. Higher concentrations are present in younger leaves.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Leaf latex · MODERATE · veterinary_manual · Plants Poisonous to Animals - Special Pet Topics

• Caution

  Ingestion of Aloe vera leaf latex can cause gastrointestinal irritation, including abrupt severe diarrhea and/or hypoglycemia; vomiting may also occur. The page describes Aloe spp. exposures generally as usually causing mild to moderate gastrointestinal upset with an excellent prognosis.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Leaf latex; whole-plant or leaf exposure · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals - Toxicology

• Caution

  The page does not provide cat- or dog-specific status, but states that aloe vera is not anticipated to cause systemic toxicity. Ingestion of the white sap, particularly from young leaves, may cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, anorexia, and urine-color changes; the gel is distinguished from the symptomatic white sap.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Whole leaves; white sap versus gel, with greater concern noted for young leaves · HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic Plants to Pets | Pet Poison Helpline®

Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)

Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.

• SAFETY: Major issues include Latex can cause severe diarrhea, electrolyte loss and kidney injury; oral products linked to liver injury. Contraindications/cautions include Intestinal obstruction; kidney disease; children.

  HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Latex interacts with digoxin, diuretics, corticosteroids and glucose-lowering drugs via potassium loss/additivity.

  MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Avoid oral medicinal use in pregnancy/lactation.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• Aloe vera can cause vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea in pets; route and preparation are not specified.

  MODERATE · veterinary_hospital_guidance · [PDF] Spring 2020 - VCA Animal Hospitals

  The page does not distinguish cats from dogs.

• Consumption of plant material may cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats; the page provides no Aloe vera-specific toxicity classification or clinical signs.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Poisonous Plants

  The signs are a general companion-animal warning and are not specifically attributed to Aloe vera; no plant-specific safety evidence is provided for the Aloe entry.

• ASPCA classifies aloe as toxic to cats and dogs; listed toxic principles are saponins and anthraquinones, with vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea reported after ingestion.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Aloe

  The page provides no dose, concentration, exposure-duration, or cat-versus-dog differences in clinical signs.

• Ingestion of the latex from Aloe barbadensis leaves can cause abrupt, severe diarrhea and/or hypoglycemia; vomiting may also occur. Higher concentrations are present in younger leaves.

  MODERATE · veterinary_manual · Plants Poisonous to Animals - Special Pet Topics

  The page names Aloe barbadensis (Barbados/Curacao aloe), treated here as the canonical Aloe vera; the page does not state cat- versus dog-specific outcomes.

• Ingestion of Aloe vera leaf latex can cause gastrointestinal irritation, including abrupt severe diarrhea and/or hypoglycemia; vomiting may also occur. The page describes Aloe spp. exposures generally as usually causing mild to moderate gastrointestinal upset with an excellent prognosis.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Houseplants and Ornamentals Toxic to Animals - Toxicology

  The page identifies Aloe barbadensis rather than the canonical name Aloe vera and states that higher constituent concentrations occur in younger leaves; it does not provide cat-versus-dog distinctions.

• The page does not provide cat- or dog-specific status, but states that aloe vera is not anticipated to cause systemic toxicity. Ingestion of the white sap, particularly from young leaves, may cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, anorexia, and urine-color changes; the gel is distinguished from the symptomatic white sap.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic Plants to Pets | Pet Poison Helpline®

  Species-specific cat and dog evidence is not provided; the page characterizes aloe vera as not anticipated to cause systemic toxicity despite describing sap-associated clinical signs.

• Medicine plant (Aloe/true aloe/Barbados aloe) is toxic to cats; no non-toxic preparation or concentration is identified. Reported signs are vomiting and red urine discoloration.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Medicine Plant - ASPCA

  The page does not provide a scientific or family name; mapping to aloe-vera is based on the listed common names Aloe, True Aloe, and Barbados Aloe.

• Aloe vera / Aloe barbadensis is listed by ASPCA under “Plants Toxic to Dogs.” The page provides no plant-specific toxicology details and no cat-specific evidence.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List — Dogs - ASPCA

  Family is listed as Liliaceae / Aloaceae; the page does not distinguish preparations or severity.

• Medicine plant (Aloe/true aloe/Barbados aloe) is toxic to dogs; no non-toxic preparation or concentration is identified. Reported signs are vomiting and red urine discoloration.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Medicine Plant - ASPCA

  The page does not provide a scientific or family name; mapping to aloe-vera is based on the listed common names Aloe, True Aloe, and Barbados Aloe.

• Ingestion of aloe vera plant material is described as toxic to dogs and may cause gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and diarrhea.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Aloe Vera Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®

  The page uses Aloe barbadensis Miller, a synonym associated with the canonical Aloe vera entry. No cat-specific evidence is provided; the general reference to pets is not treated as cat-specific.

Taxonomic identity note

• Aloe vera is treated here as Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. in the family Asphodelaceae; recorded older names include Aloe barbadensis Mill..