Lobelia
2 foods contain this ingredient
This is an alphabetical list, not a ranking. Add KL+ to rank foods for your pet in the Food Finder.
About Lobelia
Lobelia is a flowering herb with a history in traditional medicine that has no place in nutritional pet food formulas.
Lobelia is not a standard pet food ingredient and is sometimes encountered only in herbal supplements rather than nutritional pet diets; it has historically been used in herbal medicine but provides no meaningful nutritional protein, fiber, vitamin, or mineral content for dogs or cats. It contains active alkaloids (e.g., lobeline) that can cause vomiting, tremors, respiratory distress, or more serious toxicity in pets, so it should be avoided in pet foods and any use as a therapeutic herb should be undertaken only under veterinary guidance.
- Derived from
- Lobelia inflata and related Lobelia species (leaves, flowers, seeds)
- Primary role
- none in nutritional pet food; historically an herbal respiratory remedy
Why it's used
Lobelia is not added to commercial pet food for nutrition. Its historical use comes from traditional and Thomsonian herbal medicine, where practitioners used it as an expectorant and respiratory stimulant, and some contemporary herbal pet products still reference this history for cough support.
Common concerns
- Lobeline alkaloid toxicity The ASPCA lists lobelia as toxic to pets, with lobeline as the toxic principle and clinical signs that can include depression, vomiting, diarrhea, excess salivation, abdominal pain, and heart rhythm disturbances.
- Mechanism of action Lobeline acts on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in a manner similar to nicotine, which is why overconsumption is associated with effects like tremors and respiratory distress rather than a simple stomach upset.
- No specific antidote Veterinary treatment for lobelia ingestion is supportive care such as decontamination and fluids, since there is no dedicated antidote for lobeline alkaloid exposure.
Also relevant
Any use of lobelia as an herbal remedy for a pet's respiratory symptoms should go through a veterinarian rather than an over-the-counter product, given the narrow margin between traditional low-dose use and alkaloid overexposure.
Common Questions
What category is Lobelia?
Lobelia is categorized as a herb ingredient in the KibbleLab database.
Is Lobelia part of an allergen group?
No allergen group is linked to Lobelia in the KibbleLab database.
Which foods contain Lobelia?
2 foods in the KibbleLab database contain Lobelia, including Earth Animal, Only Natural Pet.
Foods with Lobelia
Alphabetical by brand. Scores run 0 to 10, higher is better, on published veterinary science.
Find the right food for your pet
Sign in free to sort and filter by score, and avoid or require Lobelia in the Food Finder. Add KL+ to see these foods ranked for your pet's breed, age, and health focus.
Continue with Google
Continue with Facebook