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American Bittersweet is Poisonous To Pets

Name: American Bittersweet

Toxins: Solanocapsine (aka. solanine)

Symptoms: Hyper salivation, severe gastrointestinal disturbance, early hemorrhagic diarrhea, anorexia, apathy, drowsiness, depression, dilated pupils, confusion, bradycardia, muscular weakness that gets progressively worse, trembling, numbness, labored breathing, rapid heartbeat, weak pulse, nasal discharge,central nervous system depression, and loss of coordination, that may be accompanied by rear leg paralysis.

Additional Information: All parts of the American Bittersweet are toxic with the highest toxicity being found in the berries, it is also non palatable with the intact glycoakaloid or saponin having an irrant effect such as burning of the mouth and throat, so only in rare cases will an animal consume enough to cause a potentially lethal poisoning situation. The pets that tend to be at the highest risk are those that tend to be curious or bore easily and will either chew or ingest the plant for the sake of curiosity or out of pure boredom. When ingested problems of the gastrointestinal tract (vomiting, abdominal pain, inappetance, and diarrhea which may become bloody) and the central nervous system (depression, loss of coordination, weakness, paralysis of the rear legs, collapse, difficulty breathing, convulsions and death) may be noted.

The terminal signs include shock, coma, circulatory depression, respritory depression, and paralysis. Typically recovery from this point may be impossible or may collimate in 3-4 days of severe illness that may result in death or recovery.

In cases where the poisoning was less severe the animal may present with yellowing of the skin in un-pigmented areas, rear leg tremors, anemia, rapid hear rate, and loss of coordination

First Aid: In the event that a large quantity of the plant was consumed, it is essential that you seek veterinary attention immediately, since emergency medical procedures may need to be undertaken. Treatment for ingestion of plants containing Solanine is mostly symptomatic until the clinical signs wear off, generally in a day or two in some cases longer. Death is rare due to the fact that animals will rarely ingest a fatal quantity due to general the non palatability of the plant.