Page 942 - Veterinary Toxicology, Basic and Clinical Principles, 3rd Edition

894 SECTION | XIV Poisonous Plants

VetBooks.ir TABLE 62.2 Household Plants Clinical Presentation

Family
Genus/Species
Amaryllidaceaes Amaryllis, Clivia, Crinium, Hippeastrum Vomiting and diarrhea
Apocynaceae Allamanda cathartica, Dipladenia sanderi Skin (dermatitis) and digestive disorders
Araceae:
Dieffenbachia Dieffenbachia sanguine, D. picta Keratoconjunctivitis, edema of the eyelids, and corneal ulceration;
reactions on the lips, tongue, palate and pharynx, esophagus, and
vomiting and diarrhea. The cat is particularly sensitive
Other Alocasia spp., Anthurium spp., Arisaema They can cause similar disorders to Dieffenbachia and sometimes
dangerous spp., Caladium spp., Monster spp., dermatitis as a result of animal contact with the plant
Araceae Philodendron spp., Xanthosoma spp.,
Zantedeschia aethiopica
Ericaceae Rhododendron obtusum, R. simsii Vomiting, diarrhea, violent equilibrium changes and convulsions,
paralysis, and dyspnea; coma and death (at high doses)
Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia pulcherrima Irritating to skin and projected into the cornea; local disorders,
vesicular dermatitis, conjunctivitis, stomatitis, vomiting and
diarrhea
Liliaceae Tulipa sp., Hyacinthus spp. Vomiting with gastroenteritis
Moraceae Ficus elastic, Ficus lyrata Similar to those caused by Euphorbiaceae and also urinary signs

Judicious questioning of the client may be necessary when such plants are the source of food. Birds that are
when plant poisoning is suspected. The client may not allowed to fly free in the home or that escape from a cage
know the plants in the home or garden if a spouse or other may peck at and ingest poisonous houseplants.
family member is the gardener, and further inquiry is nec-
essary to establish the presence of a suspected plant in or
around the home. Predictive and Toxicity Factors

Age
Conditions Conducive to Plant Poisoning
By nature, puppies and kittens continually explore with
Cross-breeding, environmental conditions and seasonal var- their mouths. Teething irritation may be relieved by
iation in toxin content may also alter toxicity outcome. chewing on objects in the environment. Any available
Although plant poisoning of adult dogs and cats is possible, plant materials, such as seeds, pits, bulbs, branches, and
puppies often eat anything they encounter and are prime even leaves, may be chewed and ingested. Puppies and
candidates for accidental ingestion of toxic plant materials. kittens have low activities of the hepatic biotransforma-
Kittens are less likely than puppies to ingest such foreign tion enzymes as well as low levels of conjugating moie-
material but occasionally will do so (Fowler, 1981). ties. Newborn animals are generally deficient in drug
Caged birds present special problems. Psittacines metabolizing enzymes (e.g., cytochrome P450), and this
(budgerigars, cockatiels, parrots, and macaws) are gener- lack may persist for 1 2 months after birth. Both phase I
ally seed-eaters. As a rule, they are fed seeds from a com- (e.g., oxidative) and phase II (e.g., glucuronidation) reac-
mercial source, and the likelihood of poisoning is remote. tions are reduced. Poisonous plants whose toxicity is gen-
Sometimes a well-meaning owner collects and feeds wild erated from toxic metabolites may be less toxic because
seeds, which can pose a slight hazard if the person is there is decreased formation of active components. A
unable to identify all of the plants from which the seeds poorly developed blood-brain barrier, weak biotransfor-
are collected (Fowler, 1981). mation activity, and immature mechanisms for excretion
Higher concentrations of many poisonous substances combine to make puppies very vulnerable to toxic effects
are found in the seeds than in the rest of the plant. Thus, of poisonous plants. Owners should be informed of the
seed-eaters, such as psittacine birds are at particular risk necessity to “pet proof” the surroundings of young