Local Pet Parent Fights for Her Dog’s Life: Common Household Plant is the Culprit

Paula Tatgenhorst had been living in Tampa for only nine months after relocating from St. Louis, Missouri for a new job opportunity. Her three rescue dogs, Bella,
Boomer and Cindy had made the trip to the Sunshine State with the rest of her
family.

On a warm day in March, Paula decided to do some spring gardening, which involved her replanting two seeds from a plant in her front yard into a pot on her pool patio. Hours later, she found Bella playing with one of the walnut-size seeds. Paula, not being a Florida native, did not realize the seed posed a tremendous amount of danger. She did what any pet parent would do: took the seed away, not knowing Bella had swallowed the second one.

Within hours, Bella began vomiting severely. Paula rushed her to Keene Veterinary Hospital in Tampa, where Terrence S. Keene, DVM began treatment. A neighbor provided a photo of the plant, and Dr. Keene quickly identified the culprit as the Sago Palm.

“The entire plant, including seeds, root ball, and leaves are extremely toxic,” said
Dr. Keene. “In fact, roughly 75 percent of animals who ingest this plant suffer
liver failure and do not make it, even when treated with aggressive veterinary
care. What makes the situation even worse is that the seeds are very tasty to
dogs."

Bella was put on IV fluids, administered potent medication and received 24-hour care. She survived throughout the night and was able to return to her home the
following day. But sadly, Bella’s prognosis is still not good.

Because the poison is slow-moving, she may be still fighting to survive for weeks,
months and years to come. She will undergo routine blood work for months to
gauge the level of damage to her liver, which has likely shortened her life.

Despite the fact that the Sago Palm (also known as the Cyad) is poisonous to both pets and children, it is used widely in Florida for outdoor landscaping.

“It is terrifying that this toxic plant was growing right outside our door,” said
Tatgenhorst. “It is time we see efforts to improve awareness and increase warnings on the seed and plant labels. It is also imperative that homeowners identify all of the plants in their yards and dispose of the threats properly before it
is too late.”

According to the ASPCA, ingestion of the sago palm causes vomiting, melena, icterus, increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulopathy, liver
damage, liver failure and death in pets.

If you suspect your pet has ingested any part of this plant, please contact your
veterinarian immediately. Time is a key factor in saving your pet’s life.