Spring Time Toxins

Tips from Pet Poison Helpline to Help Keep Your Pet Safe!

By Erica Carghill, CVT and Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC

Spring is just around the corner!  Plant bulbs are just as excited to break through the ground to add some color to our yards, as we are to see some greenery!  That said, we need to be aware of the potential dangers spring plants can be for our pets.  Here is a list of some of the most common spring plants and their toxicities… so you know how to pet-proof your garden and keep your pet safe!

Tulips and Hyacinth

Tulips contain allergenic lactones while hyacinths contain similar alkaloids.  The toxic principle of these plants is very concentrated in the bulbs (versus the leaf or flower), so make sure your dog is not digging up the bulbs in the garden.  When the plant parts or bulbs are chewed or ingested, it can result in tissue irritation to the mouth and esophagus.  Typical signs include profuse drooling, vomiting, or even diarrhea, depending on the amount consumed.  There is no specific antidote, but with supportive care from the veterinarian (including rinsing the mouth, anti-vomiting medication, and possibly subcutaneous fluids), animals do quite well.  With large ingestion of the bulb, more severe symptoms such as an increase in heart rate and changes in respiration can be seen, and should be treated by a veterinarian.  These more sever signs are seen in cattle or our overzealous, chowhound Labradors.

Daffodils

These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong emetic properties (something that triggers vomiting).  Ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression.  Crystals are found in the outer layer of the bulbs, similar to hyacinths, which cause severe tissue irritation and secondary drooling.  Daffodil ingestion can result in more severe symptoms so if an exposure is witnessed or symptoms are seen, we recommend seeking veterinary care for further supportive care.

Lilies

There are dangerous and benign lilies out there, and it is important to know the difference.  Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies contain oxalate crystals that cause minor signs, such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus – these result in minor drooling.  The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies, and these include Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies – all of which are highly toxic to cats!  Even small ingestion (such as the pollen or 2-3 petals or leaves) can result in severe kidney failure.  If your cat is seen consuming any part of the lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care.  The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more effectively we can treat the poisoning.  Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving binders like activated charcoal) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis.

Crocus

There are two Crocus plants:  one that blooms in the spring (Crocus species) and the other in the autumn (Colchicum autumnale).  The spring plants are more common and are part of the Iridaceae family.  These ingestion can cause general gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea.  These should not be mistaken for Autumn Crocus, part of the Liliacease family, which contain colchicine.  The Autumn Crocus, also known as Meadow Saffron, is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure.  If you are not sure what plant it is, bring your pet to their veterinarian immediately for care.  Signs may be seen immediately but can be delayed for days.

Lily of the Valley

The Convallaria majalis plant contains cardiac glycosides, which will cause symptoms similar to digitalis (foxglove) ingestion.  These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and possibly seizures.  Pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically.

In addition…. Fertilizers

As we gardeners work on our rose garden, be aware of those fertilizers.  While most are not very toxic (resulting in minor gastrointestinal irritation when consumed), some fertilizers can be fatal without treatment.  Here are a few ingredients to be aware of so you know what toxins and symptoms to watch out for:

·         Blood meal – This is a dried, ground, and flash-frozen blood and contains 12% nitrogen.  While it’s a great organic fertilizer, if ingested, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea.  More importantly, it can result in sever pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas.  Some types of blood meal are also fortified with iron, resulting in iron toxicity, so make sure to know what is in your bag of blood!

·         Bone meal – This is made up of defatted, dried, and flash-frozen animal bones that are ground to a powder.  This “bone” is also what makes it so palatable to your dog so make sure to keep your pet from digging in it and ingesting the soil.  While this also makes a great organic fertilizer, it can become a problem when consumed in large amounts as the bone meal forms a large cement-like bowling ball foreign body in the stomach – which can cause an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract – resulting in possible surgery to remove it!

·         Rose and plant fertilizers – Some of these fertilizers contain disulfoton or other types of organophospates (OP).  As little as one teaspoon of 1% disulfoton can kill a 55 lb dog, so be careful!  Organophosphates, while less commonly used, can result in severe symptoms [including SLUD signs (which abbreviate for salivation, lacrimation, urination and defecation), seizures, difficulty breathing, hyperthermia, etc.  In some cases, it can be fatal!

·         Pesticides / Insecticides  - Most pesticides or insecticides (typically those that come in a spray can) are basic irritants to the pet and are usually not a huge concern unless a pet’s symptoms become persistent.  Some may contain an organophosphate which can be life threatening when consumed in large quantities.  It is always best to speak to a trained medical professional if there are any questions.

·         Iron – This is commonly added to fertilizers, and can result in iron toxicity (from ingestion of elemental iron).  This is different from “total” iron ingestion, and can be confusing to differentiate.  When in doubt, have a medical professional at Pet Poison Helpline assist you with finding out if the amount ingested was toxic or not.  Large ingestion can result in vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and potential cardiac and liver effects.

The best thing any pet owner can do is to be educated on the household toxins (both inside the house and out in the garden!), that way you make sure how to pet-proof your house appropriately.  Make sure to keep all gardening and lawn products in labeled, tightly sealed containers out of your pet’s reach.  If you think your pet has been poisoned, contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 with any questions or concerns.

 Resources:  Pet Poison Helpline (PPH) is an Animal Poison Control that provides treatment advice and recommendations relating to exposures to potential dangerous plants, products, medications, and substances, to veterinarians, veterinary staff and pet owners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Please be aware there is a $35.00/per case consultation fee.  Pet Poison Helpline is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The Helpline number is 800-213-6680.

For further information regarding services, visit the PPH website at www.petpoisonhelpline.com

Weighty Issues: Body Condition Scoring

So, now that we have discussed that obesity is a disease that is preventable and manageable, it’s time to figure out where each of our pets fall in the spectrum of obesity. To do that, we need a few different pieces of information: a weight, and a body condition score.

The first thing most people do when bringing their dog to the clinic is to pop them on the clinic scale. When cats come out of the carrier, the first place they land is on the cat scale. This is a vital piece of information for the veterinary clinic, as it allows us to accurately dose your pet should he or she need any medication, and we can also track the weight over progressive visits to monitor weight gain or weight loss.

But veterinarians and technicians are also assessing a body condition score. When we give your pet a good rub down in the room, we aren’t just being friendly. We are feeling fat padding, muscle tone and the prominence of bones like ribs and hips. Based on this tactile assessment and also a visual look at the waist and belly, we assign your pet a body condition score. Body condition scores can be out of 9 or 5, and this allows us to translate whether that 10kg dog is healthy, overweight or underweight.

You can do body condition scoring at home. It takes a bit of practice, and keep in mind that body condition scores are subjective analysis of your pet. Don’t be surprised if you and your vet disagree slightly in the scoring – we all tend to be a bit more optimistic regarding the health and weight of our own pets, where as your vet likely has a more critical eye. Personal experience can also affect how we view weight issues – what we perceive as normal will be very different depending if we spend all day at the dog park watching pudgy labs play,  versus spending time at a sport-dog competition where pets are typically more trim.  

To perform a body condition assessment, start with feeling your pet over its chest area, using light palpation. You are gauging how prominent the ribs are. Ideally, you should not have to dig too deeply to be able to feel your pet’s ribs.

Next, move your palpation down to your pet’s abdomen. You are feeling for the presence of a waistline and also a “tummy-tuck”. Now run your hands down your pet’s spine, hips and tail, feeling for excess fat accumulation. Cats in particular are prone to developing a fat pad in front of their hind legs. If your previously-overweight cat has been on a weight-loss program and is doing well, don’t be surprised if this fat pad remains longer than you’d like. It’s often the last evidence of obesity to disappear.

Compare what you feel and see to the scoring charts – there are different ones for toy, small, medium, large and giant breed dogs and also cats: http://www.pet-slimmers.com/pet-obesity/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-is-overweight.aspx

If you’ve done this scoring and feel your pet is anything other than ideal (4-5/9), call your veterinarian today to discuss what you can do to get your pet in its optimal body condition.

Vanessa Tonn, DVM
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic