Accidental Datura stramonium poisoning in a dog

ACCIDENTAL POISONING BY Datura stramonium IN DOG. Raimundo A. Tostes DVM, MS Serviço de Anatomia Patológica – Hospital Veterinário Universidade do Oeste Paulista – Campus II Rod. Raposo Tavares km 572 Presidente Prudente – São Paulo – Brasil 19001-970 ABSTRACT Datura stramonium is reported as potentially poisonous to humans and livestock. However, there´s a poor description of clinical and pathological findings in dogs naturally intoxicated. We report an accidental Datura stramonium poisoning in a dog emphasizing the importance of recognize in this case the classical signs of anticholinergic poisoning. The Datura genus belongs to the Solanaceae family and consists of nine annual plants. The genus is divided in four sections: Brugmansia, Stramonium, Dutra e Ceratocaulis (3). Datura stramonium also known as jimsonweed, thornapple, devil´s trumpet is a herbaceous plant irregularly branched and resembling a shrub. The leaves are alternate, oval, toothed and foul smelling. Is hallucinogenic and widely distributed in Americas and Asia (3-5, 8). In Brazil, D. stramonium is commonly used as ornamental plant (5). All parts are potentially poisonous, containing the tropane derivative alkaloids, including hyosciamine, norhyosciamine, atropine, meteloidine and scopolamine in elevated concentrations (3-4, 9). CASE REPORT A poodle toy bitch, 1-year-old, was admitted in our Emergency Service showing hyperesthesia, high agitation, tachycardia, tachypnea, mydriasis, followed by coma and circulatory and respiratory failure, disabling any interventional therapeutic. The owner reported which have been recently planted in your home garden several samples of Datura stramonium with an easy access to your pet. The owner also reported an interval along 2 or 3 hours between the plant ingestion and beginning of symptoms. Necropsy findings were: severe congestion, markedly in spleen, liver, lung, medullar renal and meninges, acute pulmonary oedema, acute heart dilation with multifocal petechyal and sufusive hemorrhagies in visceral pericardio and within the gastric contents were identified fragments of leaves and seeds of D. stramonium partially digested. Histological examination revealed multifocal hepatic necrosis mainly affecting

Vet Hum Toxicol. 2002 Feb;44(1):33-4. PMID:11824774 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

centrolobular zone, tubular renal degeneration, congestion and multiple hemorrhagic foci in lung, myocardio and CNS. No other remarkable histological alteration were seen. DISCUSSION Datura stramonium is reported as toxic and all parts potentially poisonous to humans as livestock and pets. Cases occurring spontaneously have been recorded in cattle, sheeps, goats, horses, pigs and broilers (1-4, 6, 8-10). Experimentally only in ruminants, pigs and broilers (1-2, 6, 10). Children are commonly intoxicated accidentally, resembling that occurs in pets. Despite severity of clinical presentation, rarely D. stramonium leads to death (4, 9). Ingestion of several segments may potentialize the symptoms (2, 6). In dogs probably the hemodynamic disturbances caused by plant alkaloids are dramatic in a few hours after his ingestion as occurring in humans patients (9, 11). Clinical manifestations are classical of anticholinergic poisoning, including agitation, agressive behaviour, ambulatory delirium, tachycardia, tachypnea, mydriasis, seizures or convulsions, evolving to coma and death in complicated cases (3-4, 7, 9). Anatomopathological findings indicate a evolution toward hypotension, myocardial failure, intravascular disseminated coagulation and multiple organ failure (2). Goats and sheeps presents variable clinical manifestations, however presence of cardiorespiratory and locomotor disturbances are marked. In bovines prevail digestive alterations, but the toxic dosage required to promote death is very high, about 4500 seeds/kg in diet (6). In horses D. stramonium also promote severe digestive disturbances, varying from thirst and anorexia to gastric dilation and rupture (8). Have been demonstrated a reasonable tolerance of pigs to Datura seeds with none or minor effects (10). In human patients prognosis of D. stramonium intoxication is usually favorable (4, 9). In pets, prognosis will be conditioned to amount ingested. Treatment is basically symptomatic and supportive. Gastric lavage, emesis and administration of activated charcoal is immediately useful (7). A controversial treatment concerns the use of physostigmine. The pediatric dosage of physostigmine recommended is 0,02 to 0,05 mg/kg diluited at 10 ml of saline solution administered slowly intravenously in a single dosis. The majority of cases is resolved in 48 hours, remaining stable until complete remission of all clinical alterations (4, 7). Although not used in this case, tests for isolation of tropane alkaloids in urine are available. The severity of D. stramonium poisoning in dogs must be a warning to veterinarians due to natural curious instinct of puppies and youngest dogs in gardens and yards with ornamental plants potentially poisonous.

Vet Hum Toxicol. 2002 Feb;44(1):33-4. PMID:11824774 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

REFERENCES 1. Day, E.J.; Dilworth, B.C. Toxicity of jimson weed seed and cocoa shell meal to broilers. Poultry Sc. 63: 466-468, 1983. 2. Dirdiri, N.I.; Wasfi, I.A.; Adam, S.E.I. et al. Toxicity of Datura stramonium to sheep and goats. Vet. Hum. Toxicol. 23: 241-246, 1981. 3. Hayman, J. Datura poisoning – the angel´s trumpet. Pathol. 17: 465-466, 1985. 4. López, L.C.; Badás, J.P.M.; Armentia, S.L.L. et al. Intoxicación por Datura stramonium. An. Esp. Pediatr. 53: 53-55, 2000. 5. Lorenzi, H.: Plantas Daninhas do Brasil 3a.Ed., Instituto Plantarum de Estudos da Flora, São Paulo, p.552, 2000. 6. Nelson, P.D.; Mercer, H.D.; Essig, H.W. et al. Jimson weed seed toxicity in cattle. Vet. Hum. Toxicol. 24: 321-325, 1982. 7. Rodgers, G.C.; Kanel, R.L. Conservative treatment of jimsonweed ingestion. Vet. Hum. Toxicol. 35: 32-33, 1993. 8. Schulman, M.L.; Bolton, L.A. Datura seed intoxication in two horses. Jl. S. Afr. Vet. Ass. 69: 27-29, 1998. 9. Thabet, H.; Brahmi, N.; Amamou, M. et al. Datura stramonium poisonings in humans. Vet. Hum. Toxicol. 41: 320-321, 1999. 10. Worthington, T.R.; Nelson, E.P.; Bryant, M.J. Toxicity of thornapple (Datura stramonium L) seeds to the pig. Vet. Rec. 108: 208-211, 1981. 11. Zeng, Y.M.; Liu, N.H.; Shen, Y.T. et al. Hemodynamic studies of the effect of total alkaloids of Datura in experimental hemorrhagic shock in dogs. Resuscitation 10:129-33, 1982.

Vet Hum Toxicol. 2002 Feb;44(1):33-4. PMID:11824774 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]