Answer
Dec 19, 2025 - 01:50 PM
Let me try to address your concern with the use of hydrangea root for your dog. Hydrangea contain a potentially toxic compound called amygdalin that can be converted into cyanide in the body. This compound is found in larger amounts in the hydrangea leaves, flowers and seeds of this plant which we don't use in our formulas. Having said that, there are a couple of facts to consider: hydrangea contains very low levels of amygdalin (it is not very toxic as mentioned in your question) so a very large amount of plant material would have to be consumed for any toxicity. Even if ingesting large amounts of hydrangea toxicity is rare and instead there would be a gastrointestinal disturbance such as diarrhea or vomiting. This is the plant's defense as when these symptoms are experienced the animal would stop eating the plant. Most importantly the bodies of dogs and cats are able to easily and naturally neutralize these plant cyanides into harmless compounds that are eliminated in the urine. Often online poor information can spread and be repeated by those with little true understanding of the subject matter. When toxicity of herbs is mentioned online it usually is associated with nausea and vomiting not death. Potentially toxic herbs are not available commercially. For example, hydrangea leaf and flower is not available for sale commercially but the root is. Hydrangea root has been used for hundreds of years especially by native Americans and this wouldn't be the case if it was making all users ill. In your question you also wondered how a lesser amounts of hydrangea root would still work. This is because the amount needed to achieve our goals is significantly lower than the amount needed to be consumed that would make a dog or cat sick. Trust me when I tell you that we are highly educated in herbal medicine and after twenty years if this formula was making dogs and cats sick it wouldn't be for sale.
