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Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
Written By Tim Falk
Published: 01/08/2016Updated: 04/02/2022
Veterinary reviewed by Dr. Linda Simon, MVB MRCVS
What is Sago Palm Poisoning?
The sago palm is a popular plant in homes and gardens around the country. But while this palm is an eye-catching addition to any space, it's also extremely dangerous for our canine companions.
Sago palm is highly toxic to dogs. This plant contains multiple toxins, including cycasin, which leads to liver failure and can
be fatal. As a result, any dog that has ingested sago palm must be taken to a
veterinarian immediately for emergency treatment.
Unfortunately, most pet parents are generally unaware of the toxicity of this plant until it's too late. Poisoning cases are especially common in spring and summer when pups and their people are outdoors.
Sago palm poisoning results in a range of symptoms, starting with gastrointestinal upset and progressing to serious central nervous system signs until the dog ultimately develops liver failure. Without prompt treatment, sago palm poisoning in dogs can be fatal, which means it's vital that you seek immediate veterinary attention if your dog consumes any part of a sago palm.
Sago Palm Poisoning Average Cost
From 102 quotes ranging from $800 - $9,500
Average Cost
$5,000
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Symptoms of Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
The symptoms of sago palm poisoning may appear as soon as 15 minutes after ingestion, though in some cases they may take up to 12 hours to develop. If you suspect that your dog has ingested any part of the sago palm plant, take them to a veterinarian immediately. Symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Drooling
- Weakness/lethargy
- Sudden lack of appetite
- Depression
- Seizures
- Jaundice
- Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
- Blood in stool
- Blood in urine
- Bruising
- Nosebleeds
Causes of Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
A member of the cycad family, the sago palm grows in tropical and subtropical climates but is also quite popular as an indoor houseplant and for use in outdoor landscaping.
Sago palm poisoning is caused by ingestion of the plant, which contains multiple toxic compounds. While all parts of the plant are dangerous to dogs, the seeds are particularly toxic and are the part of the sago palm that many pets tend to eat.
Sago palm contains the toxin cycasin, which can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and depression. If the dog doesn't receive treatment, neurological signs like ataxia and seizures will develop along with liver failure. Sadly, sago palm poisoning can be fatal, so seeking emergency veterinary treatment is essential to ensuring a good prognosis.
Diagnosis of Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
If you suspect that your dog has ingested any part of the sago palm plant, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Diagnosis without proof of ingestion is difficult and tends to rely on the symptoms alone. If you aren't sure whether your dog has consumed part of the plant, your veterinarian will run blood and urine tests to confirm that the liver has been impacted.
Treatment of Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
Due to the high fatality rate of sago palm poisoning in dogs, aggressive treatment is vital for dogs that have ingested any part of this plant. A veterinarian will typically induce vomiting an injection such as Apomoprhine (or less commonly, using hydrogen peroxide or ipecac) while activated charcoal may also be given to your dog to soak up any of the poison internally.
If liver damage has occurred, liver protectants, blood and plasma transfusions, vitamin K injections, gastroprotectants, anti-seizure medications, and fluid therapy may be required. Your veterinarian will also evaluate your dog to determine if anti-nausea medications or pain management drugs should be administered.
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Recovery of Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
According to the Pet Poison Helpline, the survival rate for dogs with sago palm poisoning — even with aggressive treatment — is approximately 50%.
While sago palm poisoning is a very serious condition, pets that are given emergency treatment can make a full recovery. Dogs recovering from sago palm poisoning may be monitored overnight or for several days by a veterinarian. Additional tests will likely be performed to determine if any permanent damage has occurred to the organs. Follow-up visits may be required in the initial recovery stages.
You can also protect your pet by removing all sago palms from your home and yard along with all other toxic plants. And if you're traveling with your dog, particularly if you're visiting a warmer climate, make sure you can identify sago palms and keep your pet well away from them.
Want to find out more about common household and garden plants that are toxic to dogs? Use Wag! Vet Chat to get the lowdown online from a veterinary professional.
Cost of Sago Palm Poisoning in Dogs
The cost of treating sago palm poisoning in dogs depends on how quickly the dog receives treatment and how much of the plant they ingested.
Emergency veterinary services are, by default, more expensive than regular services. If your dog requires multiple days of hospitalization, including overnight care, the total cost of poisoning can run to thousands of dollars. If the dog has limited exposure and only needs activated charcoal and general monitoring, the treatment cost can be as low as a few hundred dollars.
Sago Palm Poisoning Average Cost
From 102 quotes ranging from $800 - $9,500
Average Cost
$5,000
Top
Sago Palm Poisoning Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
pit bull terrier
Jason
5 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea With Blood
Hi
I think my dog may have been in contact with this plant that I just bought. I don't have the money to go to a veterinary clinic right now. He is pooping diarrhea with some blood.No vomiting for now. Is there anything I can do at my house until I'm able to take him to the vet?
March 18, 2018
0 Recommendations
Sago palm poisoning has a high mortality rate (around 50% quoted in literature), even small quantities can result in a poisoning event; supportive and symptomatic care with fluids, gastroprotectants, liver support and other care may be required. It is important that Jason is kept hydrated, but due to the high mortality rate I would recommend visiting a Veterinarian regardless of cost to be on the safe side. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
March 18, 2018
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Maltipoo
Bella
2 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My dog Bella was happy to see me and playful Thursday evening at 5:00. By 6:00 she was vomiting. She vomited white foam 6 or 7 times that evening. The next morning she was trembling and breathing hard. Took her to the Vet at 9:00 am and they did blood work. All it showed was extreme dehydration. They gave her a shot of fluids and anti nausea medicine. Within 2 hours she was completely lethargic. Took her to the Vet ER, and they did more blood. He asked if we had and Sago Palms, and we do. He kept her on fluids overnight, and when I went home to investigate I found a Sago Palm seed that had been chewed open. I carefully pieced it back together, and not much was missing. But apparently it does not take much. The next morning she was better and the same evening even a little better. Her Liver levels were still high, but not dangerously high. Tomorrow we will be approaching 72 hours from injestion. She is still at the Vet ER, and they will run more blood work in the morning. How long before we know she will be ok and out of danger? She looked normal and excited to see use this afternoon. Could she possibly still be in danger? What is usually the long term prognosis? Thank you.
March 18, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
1 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. Very small amounts of Sago Palm are very toxic to animals. If Bella is continuing to improve over 72 hours, that is typically the time frame that we worry about. It would be best to follow your veteirnarian's advice, as they have done a good job managing her condition if she is still alive, and she seems to be doing well.
March 18, 2018
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Labrador Retriever
woodrow
4 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Weakness
Vomiting
Lethargic
Won'T Eat
Less Enthusiastic
My dog ate a sago palm at about 8 in the morning and we later found out the it was poisonous at 6 in the afternoon. He has now been at the vet for two days with a little bit of abnormality in the liver, do you think that he will survive this without having lasting organ problems or any neurological problems.
Jan. 18, 2018
0 Recommendations
It is difficult to say if she will survive or not, it all depends on the amount of the palm consumed and the anomaly on the liver test results; but dogs generally make a good recovery after poisoning events but I cannot give you any assurances, you should discuss with your Veterinarian as they are able to assess Woodrow’s current condition. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Jan. 18, 2018
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Chihuahua
Molly
1 Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Increased Urination
My dog Molly injested sago palm approximately 8 months ago. She was sick that first night but showed no symptoms the next day. She was her usual energetic playful dog.To this day she remains playful and full of energy.
I did not take her to the vet, I was unaware of how serious the poisening was.
Should I still be worried about liver damage?
Nov. 22, 2017
0 Recommendations
If Molly hasn’t had any symptoms until now, you are most likely in the clear; I would recommend you getting a blood test to check liver function to be on the safe side when you visit your Veterinarian next. Liver failure symptoms normally present within a few days of ingestion so if you haven’t seen anything thank your lucky stars. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/sago-palm/
Nov. 22, 2017
wow. How much did she swollow? My dog swollowed a bunch and had to go to the emergancy vet because she got paralyzed and was hallousanating. I hope she survives. She is staying at the vet overnight.
Nov. 22, 2017
Sarah S.
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Golden Retriever
coco
15 Weeks
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Frequent Urination
they induced vomiting and she threw up all the food and a treat i had given her and a piece of the sago that I feared she had consumed. Vet said she did an X-ray to be sure that she vomited everything in her stomach and then did activated charcoal in order to block toxins. They kept her 1.5 hrs and did subcutaneous fluids and then sent her home with me. she has urinated many times. Im afraid of dehydration but vet said no water because it could dilute charcoal or make her vomit. we did no enzyme exams as the vet said in was pricey and we already knew the problem and that since we took her in so soon it could possibly not even show, and the test was more necessary in 7 days after treatment.
Aug. 30, 2017
0 Recommendations
I agree with the course of action your Veterinarian has taken and with subcutaneous fluids they would have given a sufficient amount to see her over this nil by mouth period. The effects of the poisoning on the liver or not immediately evident and it is best to have a blood test a few days afterwards to get a better picture than an immediate test and having false hope (plus wasting money). Keep a close eye on Coco and you can monitor if she becomes dehydrated by pressing on her gums until it turns white, let go and count; if it takes more than two seconds for the blood to return then there mild dehydration and Coco may require more fluids. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 30, 2017
Our dog Lily has recently died yesterday due to the Sago Palm. It killed her over the course of about 2 days. We first noticed her odd behaviour when she was outside and started stumbling and having trouble walking the day after she died. I'm a bit confused on why it killed her so quickly unlike other dog when the survive and are treated over the course of a week.
Sept. 16, 2017
Sauceslick
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Sago Palm Poisoning Average Cost
From 102 quotes ranging from $800 - $9,500
Average Cost
$5,000
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
