Apple Seed Poisoning

hrcamacho · 10-29-2009, 10:02 PM

I wanted to let everyone know about apple seed poisoning. Tonight I came in and our new dog, Annie; whom I have written about multiple other health problems (we've not even had her a month), had gotten into the trash, she ate an apple while we were gone. She had blown pupils, panting profusely, labored breathing, wired like a child on 4 pounds of candy. At first I didn't think anything about it, and it just kept getting worse. I called poison control, and they told me apple seeds were not poisonous. NOT TRUE! Not satisfied with that answer, I called my vet. The vet is an hour away, and my husband was an hour away, and the kids were in bed. I knew 2 more hours were not an option! I went ahead and induced vomiting, and gave her activated charcoal. I called the vet back to double check the amt of charcoal to give her, and explained my whole dilemma. (I will take her to vet in the morning). She said apple seeds ARE poisonous to dogs, amond other fruit seeds. This can cause kidney failure. Please say a prayer for Annie. She has quickly become my best friend, and I would be devastated if something was to happen to her that I could have prevented.

CoverTune · 10-29-2009, 10:05 PM

Apple seeds, I'm quite sure, contain cyanide.. so yes, can certainly be poisonous. My thoughts are with you tonight!

Labsnothers · 10-29-2009, 11:51 PM

Yes many reliable sources say apple seeds are poisonous. I am surprised that small of a dose would be so bad. What else might she have gotten into?

Binkalette · 10-30-2009, 12:18 AM

Oh no! I'm so sorry this is happening to your poor girl

Thoughts and prayers going out to her.

Just for future reference, and for anybody reading this thread who wants to know, here is a list of foods and products that are poisonous to dogs.

http://www.missouriscenicrivers.com/baddogfoods.html

Quote:

Apple: The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which can result in cyanide poisoning.

Poison Control of all people should have known this. Even if they aren't harmful to humans.. geeze.

Edit: Just noticed there is a number on that page for the National Animal Poison Control Center. 1-888-426-4435

CoverTune · 10-30-2009, 12:42 AM

Apple flesh isn't harmful though, is it?

Binkalette · 10-30-2009, 12:43 AM

No, just the seeds. The flesh is actually used in quite a few dog foods.

It seems the seeds of most fruits contain those same cyanogenic glycosides, so just stay away from the seeds.

BusterBabe · 10-30-2009, 10:36 AM

How's Annie doing today? My thoughts are with you two.

DJsMom · 10-30-2009, 11:54 AM

I'm so sorry & hope that Annie is doing OK today.

Having parrots, who are so sensitive to sooo many things, I am very much aware of the toxicity of apple, as well as other seeds, but I guess I'm a bit surprised too that the seeds of only 1 apple would be that toxic, I thought it took quite a bit more to actually make a dog sick. How big is Annie?

Elana55 · 10-30-2009, 12:43 PM

Cyanide is deadly in very small amounts.

DJsMom · 10-30-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elana55

Cyanide is deadly in very small amounts.

That's true, & I imagine it effects individuals differently too, like everything else. My hubby once gave my macaw a whole apple, which he ate

, but thank dog he wasn't effected.

Hiroko · 10-30-2009, 12:55 PM

Oh I am so glad I read this thread, I never knew how bad the apply seed could be!!!!

hrcamacho · 10-30-2009, 02:36 PM

So far, so good. Her eyes aren't blown anymore, and she looks like she was on an allnight binge. She's still peeing, and eating. I wasn't home til now, and my hubby stayed with her. Said she was back to her normal self (she doesn't play with husband, kind of timid of him and most other men) idk why.....so far so good. I called the vet this morning, and the vet we see wasn't it. They told me what to watch for, and I will more than likely take her in this pm or in the morning for blood work.....so far so good. HOPEFULLY she won't do this again. She will be caged at any time from now on when no one else is around to keep an eye on her. Thanks for your prayers, please continue to keep her in your thoughts the next few days.

@Labsnothers. There wasn't anything else in the trash and nothing else was disturbed in the house. When she vomited, the last good heave, up came what looked like 30 seeds and the shelly stuff that's inside apples. She weighs about 45 pounds. I do know that two apple seeds can kill a pug, so I'm sure 30 could have taken my girls life.

DJsMom · 10-30-2009, 02:53 PM

Oh good, I'm glad she's seeming more back to normal now. That is very scary!
I'll continue to keep her in my thoughts & hope there are no long term problems to come out of this incident.

hrcamacho · 10-30-2009, 06:54 PM

Update! Spoke with the vet, thank goodness I didn't have to take her in. She did tell me that one apple core should not have had the effect on her as it did, BUT because she has colitis, and a multitude of other allergies, it is possible that that is what happened. (although apple seeds are poisonous to dogs in lg quantites She had me give her benadryl because the white of her eyes are still red, and she is scratching at her face. A sign of an allergic reaction. But for those of you who don't know this, poisoning IS an allergic reaction. Anyway, either way, thank goodness she is going to be fine. VAST improvement since last nt. Thank you for all your prayers. Needless to say, when we aren't home, she WILL be in her crate.

BusterBabe · 10-30-2009, 07:26 PM

I am so relieved to hear she's doing better!

lizziedog1 · 10-30-2009, 07:40 PM

Does the dog's size matter. My large, sixty pound mixed breed has eaten apples with no apparent ill-effect. Also, I have eaten the seeds of apples before. I wasn't affected by it. I noticed that after eating an apple, my dog's poops had pretty much the contents of chewed apple. I thought dogs pass certain foods quickly through their bowels.

I will the stop the apple eating though as a precaution. I will do more research.

Thanks for the heads-up!

Labsnothers · 10-30-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrcamacho

@Labsnothers. There wasn't anything else in the trash and nothing else was disturbed in the house. When she vomited, the last good heave, up came what looked like 30 seeds and the shelly stuff that's inside apples. She weighs about 45 pounds. I do know that two apple seeds can kill a pug, so I'm sure 30 could have taken my girls life.

Glad to hear she is coming along.

30 seeds? Must have been more than one apple.

Years ago we had a mix. I fed him an apple core every evening until I discovered it was causing cow pies. He also got an occasional grape. The things we do in our ignorance.

nekomi · 10-30-2009, 07:57 PM

Huh! This is definitely news to me... we have an apple tree in the fenced yard where Jazz spends a lot of time, and Jasper eats whole apples from the tree on a daily basis. I've never noticed any abnormal effect other than the dreaded "apple poops" (apple goes through almost undigested).

I've never kept track of how many apples he eats in a day, but he must be pacing himself... he's never gotten sick. Then again he does weigh close to 75 lbs.

lizziedog1 · 10-30-2009, 08:01 PM

nekomi

Quote:

Then again he does weigh close to 75 lbs.

I do think size is a factor. We all know that chocolate is a no-no for dogs. But if a one hundred pound dog eats on hershey's kiss, he shouldn't keel over and expire. If a Chihuahua eats a brick of baker's chocolate, then it is bad news.

We all should be alert and try to safeguard our dogs. But I do think that some of this is a bit panicky.

Kathyy · 10-30-2009, 11:02 PM

Unless the seed gets broken it won't release the poisonous inside. Probably the reason it is poisonous in the first place is to keep animals from eating them. The fruit is lovely and sweet, eat it but don't crunch the seeds. Then the animal poops out live seeds that can sprout and grow into a new plant.

Glad she is better, guess she crunched into at least one seed poor thing. Very scary that poison control didn't know that apple seeds are dangerous!