Morning, Noon and Night Poisoning in Dogs

The morning, noon and night plant may cause symptoms ranging from a simple belly ache to life-threatening seizures, depending on your pet’s health and how much was eaten. Some of the most commonly reported symptoms of morning, noon and night poisoning are:

• Anxiety
• Loss of appetite
• Coughing
• Drooling
• Diarrhea
• Nervousness
• Dilated pupils
• More frequent urination
• Vomiting
• Excessive thirst
• Lethargy
• Agitation
• Rigid stance
• High body temperature
• Depression
• Incoordination
• Swollen abdomen (fluid retention)
• Arching of the neck and back
• Muscle spasms
• Blood in urine
• Gasping for breath
• Breathing rapidly
• Convulsions
• Kidney failure
• Liver failure
• Respiratory failure
• Seizures
• Death

 Types

The scientific name for the morning, noon and night plant is Brunfelsia pauciflora from the Solanaceae family. Some of the other common names for the morning, noon and night plant are:

• Brazil raintree
• Brunfelsia americana
• Brunfelsia australis
• Brunfelsia densifolia
• Brunfelsia grandiflora
• Brunfelsia uniflora
• Cuban raintree
• Franciscan raintree
• Kiss me quick
• Lady of the night plant
• Puerto Rican raintree
• Yesterday, today, tomorrow plant

There are several neurotoxins in the morning, noon and night plant, which are:

• Gelseminic acid (scopoletin) relaxes the arteries, which causes a dangerous decrease in blood pressure, and slows the heartbeat dramatically
• Brunfelsamidine, excites the nerves, causing tonic and clonic seizures, leading to death
• Hopeanine depresses the nervous system and may trigger paralysis and seizures

Bring a portion of the plant with you to the veterinarian to help aid in diagnosis. When you arrive, the team will perform a physical examination, including overall condition, heart rate, breath sounds, respiratory rate, blood pressure, body temperature, weight, reflexes, and oxygen levels. Be sure to give the veterinarian all the details about the incident, such as how much and what part of the plant your dog ate. You should also tell the veterinarian about your dog’s health history, vaccination records, unusual behavior, or appetite changes.  

Laboratory tests will be done next, including biochemical profile, complete blood count, urinalysis, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), electrolyte and glucose levels. To check if your dog is dehydrated, a packed cell volume (PCV) test will probably be done. An endoscopy could also be performed to view the esophagus and remove any plant material. This procedure is done using an endoscope, which is a long, flexible tube with a camera on the end. Your dog will most likely be anesthetized during the procedure. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is sometimes performed to measure the electrical and muscular performance of the heart. Imaging done with x-ray, CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound may also be necessary.