Chinaberry poisoning in two dogs
Hare, W.R.; Schutzman, H.; Lee, B.R.; Knight, M.W.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 210(11): 1638-1640
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-1488 PMID: 9170094 Document Number: 479974
Two young dogs became acutely ill following ingestion of fallen fruit from a chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach). Clinical signs of poisoning developed within hours and were characteristic of gastrointestinal and CNS disturbances. Despite prompt and aggressive emergency treatment, neither dog survived longer than 36 hours after the onset of clinical signs of poisoning. Necropsy of 1 dog revealed severe renal congestion, moderate hepatic congestion, and a moderate amount of serosanguineous fluid in the abdominal cavity. To the best of our knowledge, previous reports of chinaberry poisoning of dogs are lacking. However, chinaberry poisoning is well documented in human beings and other animals. Therefore, we strongly recommend that dogs, in addition to other animals, have restricted access to chinaberry trees and their fruit to prevent potential poisoning.