Sago Palm Poisoning

[Debbie Bennett]

BEANIE’S STORY
A Jack Russell’s Fight for Life

I am a 5 year old, super healthy Jack Russell Terrier, or at least I was until… On November 16th, 2008, my Dad was working in the yard. One of our many Sago Palms had put out new, baby palms at its base (called off-sets). Dad had dug them up and set them aside to replant. They did not have leaves on them yet and they looked like little balls or pinecones. Since I LOVE balls, I drug a couple off, chewed them up and ate them. Within about 2 hours, Mom and Dad noticed I had no appetite for dinner and was trembling. They called the Emergency Vet Hospital and they said to bring me in as fast as the car could go. The moment I arrived, they grabbed me, pumped my stomach, gave me liquid charcoal and hooked me up to IV fluids. They said the prognosis was grim as they have lost many dogs, large and small, from ingesting Sago Palms. My doctors say the fact that I am still alive to tell this story makes me somewhat of a miracle dog. I ingested enough to kill me, but I am still hanging on 19 days later. However, since then, I have spent 12 of those days in the hospital, have gone home three times only to wind up back in the hospital again, and although I am home at present, my life is still balancing on the head of a pin. I am still unable to eat much food and what I do eat rarely stays down. I am weak, I am skin and bones and I am unable to do any of the fun stuff I used to do. My vet (who has become my new best friend since I see him almost every day) has given me, at best, a 50/50 chance but I think he is exaggerating to make my parents feel better. Although I was a rescue dog, I am now a $3000 Jack Russell and before this ordeal is over, should I survive, I will probably be a $5000 Jack Russell. My parents say they do not care about the money if I can only resemble the fabulous dog I once was. I am going to have to work hard to make that happen as I am not sure how much longer I can deal with all of this.
Please spread the word that SAGO PALMS ARE BAD! I really don’t think most dogs would mess with a full-grown plant, however, two healthy labs died at my emergency vet because they dug up the little off-sets and ate them just for something to do. Please use maximum caution when you are transplanting, cutting or propagating. It might be best to just choose another plant altogether. And if any one of your furry friends ingests any part of a Sago Palm, rush them to the vet immediately. Every minute you waste makes losing your loved one more likely. Even if we are taken to the vet in a timely fashion, the chance of survival is very small. Search the web for Sago Palm Poisoning to read about the many horror stories associated with this plant. If you are not familiar with Sago Palms, check out this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas_revoluta for pictures and information. I love little children as much as I do balls, so please educate your young children about Sago Palms as well. The seeds are colorful and a very small child might decide to put them in his or her mouth. The toxicity can be just as fatal for humans as it is for animals. Please wish me luck in the weeks to come. Kisses, Beanie Bennett

[Chris C]

I have two dogs that ate the offshoots of a sago palm. They are the parts that attach to the base and grow new leaves (not the seeds). We had removed them and replanted. A couple were small and interesting to my two dogs. Both vomited immediately and we took them to the vet within an hour or two of them eating the sago. They had three days of IV's and charcoal treatment. Both spent the first night throwing up all night. My puggle seems to be doing ok. She lost some weight but only vomitted for a couple of days. She is already back on regular food. Her liver enzymes and bilirubin levels are somewhat elevated and higher than they should be but not too bad according to the vet. My lab must have ate more of the plant because she vomited for almost two weeks after she ate the plant. We took her to the vet about a week ago and her enzyme and bilirubin levels were very elevated to the extent her eyes began looking a little jaundiced. We have both taking the Sam-e liver supplement and the lab is also on Ursodiol. My puggle seems almost back to normal and the lab has been virtually vomit free for the past 5 or 6 days with white eyes again. I am hoping for the best but it has only been about 3 weeks.

[Wolfie & Spunky's Mom]

So is your lab eating OK?
I can't believe how long it's taking her to start eating on her own. Sounds like I need to get her on those liver meds from vet ASAP.
Another problem for her is she has such a sensitive gut. Any new supplement sets her back for a couple of days. That's another reason she doesn't eat a healthier food. A/D is very gentle on her gut.
Catharine

[Wolfie & Spunky's Mom]

Hi, Everybody!
As an update 8 days later: I started giving Spunky little granules of a product called Liveraid. I think it's really helping her. An online vet recommended trying Pepcid for her gut. That didn't seem to help. But Periactin is helping her appetite. Also, she's getting B12 shots from the vet every week. I'm also giving her something called Transfer Factor that is a potent colostrum product. Also giving Denmarin. I know that is helping.
For the 1st time in over 2 and a half months, I can relax. She's playful and eating on her own some of her meals. I believe she's turned a corner.
My heart goes out to those of you whose pets have just begun this process of healing from a poisoning. It hasn't been easy. Bless you and your beloved pets.

[Wolfie & Spunky's Mom]

Dear Debbie,
My dog Spunky at a Sago Palm seed 2-1/2 months ago. I didn't realize whatshe ate until 8 long days after the fact. She wasn't eating her normal food, but was eating...and vomiting occaisionally. I Googled it, and realized I had seen that palm where I had been. Immed, I called vet and took her in. Overnite IV's and came home on Denosyl. Oh boy, and it was just starting. The vet gave me equipment to give her subcutaneous fluids so for 3 weeks everyday, sometimes twice a day, I gave her fluids. All the while, the only thing she'd eat was Lil Cesar's. It's filled with chemicals, but only thing she'd eat.
Jump to present...Now I'm still hand feeding her, but feeding A/D. She will occaisionally eat a healthier food called Stella and Chewy's, but mostly, A/D. I'm giving her probiotics, milk thistle, and digestive enzymes, along with things for immune system called Transfer Factor and DMG. Going to vet for B12 shots every week has helped a lot, and when I added the Pet Flora probiotic, I noticed that helped too.
She's better than she was, but still has no appetite. Liver enzymes are up, but not way up, and we did the pre and post eating bile acid survey day before yesterday. The vet called yesterday and said they were elevated but he couldn't fax the numbers until Tues. When we go to the vet again in 4 days, I'm going to ask for Rx's for Denamarin and and Ursodiol. I've read that the best thing to do is get her on a liver friendly diet, but she won't eat it even if I hand feed it.
Any ideas for helping her along?
Catharine