Parsley Poisoning in Dogs

Symptoms of parsley poisoning may vary from case to case. Symptoms may include:

• Exudative dermatitis
• Ulcerative dermatitis
• Ocular toxicity

Types

Parsley, also known as spring parsley, belongs to the Apiaceae family with the scientific name of Cymopterus watsonii. The spring parsley is a member of the carrot family, grows 8 to 12 centimeters tall and can have small white/cream colored flowers in umbrella-like clusters. It grows well on multiple types of soil and different elevations. It blooms in late April until June and is gone by early summer.

When you first arrive at the veterinarian’s office, she will begin by asking you numerous questions to try and collect a history. Discuss recent travel, health concerns, and instances of inappropriate eating or foraging (if any). While doing this, she will also perform a physical exam on your dog to collect his vitals and all of the symptoms he is suffering from.

If your dog is experiencing any type of skin related reaction from the photosensitivity, a skin scraping sample may be collected. The veterinarian will scrape off a layer of your dog’s skin to view under the microscope. This will allow her to rule out other causes of skin irritation. If the skin has a more ulcerative appearance, a skin scraping will not be taken but it will be examined closely by the veterinarian.

Lab work will be run to collect information on how your dog is functioning internally. A complete blood count (CBC) and chemistry panel will be run to give a baseline of how your dog’s organs are handling the toxin. These tests give a broad, overall look and will let the veterinarian know if further diagnostics need to be completed or not. She may also want to run a urinalysis for evaluation of kidney function. If dehydration is a concern, a packed cell volume (PCV) will be run to determine hydration status.

The symptoms your dog is experiencing will determine his course of treatment. If you know your dog ingested parsley or highly suspect it, the veterinarian may induce vomiting. This will empty your dog’s stomach of any remaining pieces before the body absorbs it. If too much time has passed since ingestion and induction of vomiting is unsuccessful, she may administer activated charcoal. This will bind and neutralize the toxins of the parsley before the body absorbs it and causes more skin irritation. 

If your dog’s skin is reacting in any way, a medicinal ointment or cream may be prescribed to apply to the affected areas. This will help calm any irritation or itching he may be experiencing and will speed up the healing process. Also, if he is suffering some sort of photosensitivity, he will need to remain out of the sun as much as possible until the toxin has left his system.