It's Jul 5, 2009. A shorter version of the email I sent to Cathy gets printed. Hooray more people will hear about Sago's. I told everyone I saw with a pet about Sago's and I'd say 90% of the people had no idea.
Dear Cathy: When my cocker spaniel Lucky ate a sago palm this spring, he stopped eating and almost died. Even months later, he still doesn't want to eat and we must force-feed him puppy replacement milk with his medications. He used to be so full of life, but now he just lies around barely lifting his head.
For more than two months, we have not known if our beloved pet will live, die or be sick forever. We canceled our vacation to make sure he is OK. Please let others know that sago palms are deadly to animals.
— Alyx Chavis
Dear Alyx: What a terrible ordeal. I hope Lucky recovers. You are right to warn others: sago palms, a frequent plant in our San Antonio landscape, are highly toxic to cats and dogs. Common signs of ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, seizures, liver failure and even death.
Since 2003, the ASPCA has reported a 200 percent increase in the number of sago palm and cycad poisonings, and 50 to 75 percent of those ingestions resulted in fatalities. According to Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, veterinary toxicologist and vice president of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, all parts of the sago palm are toxic, not just the seeds or nuts.
If you have pets, this plant doesn't belong in your landscape. Thanks, Alyx, for sending me photos and sharing your story.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/columnists/cathy_m._rosenthal/Cathy_M_Rosenthal_Sago_palms_highly_toxic_to_pets.html
Theirs' no way to thank Cathy. I was hoping to be able to send her an email saying Lucky was going to live.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment