Near-death experience shows dangers of sago palms to pets

Family finds out the hard way that the plant is dangerously toxic.

One recent evening Courtney Lee let her family’s golden retrievers into her Wilmington Island house from the backyard and was taken aback when one of the dogs started throwing up. Thirty minutes later, when her other dog began vomiting, Courtney was horrified, especially when both beloved pets — Palmer, 3, and Finley, 2 — continued to upchuck seven or eight more times.

While cleaning up after the dogs, Courtney noticed a seed in the vomit and immediately knew the retrievers had gotten into the sago palm in the backyard of the family’s home.

“I knew (the palms) were poisonous, but we’ve lived in this house a year and the dogs had never gone near (the one in the yard),” she said.

Immediately if not sooner, Courtney’s husband, Bobby, loaded up the ailing dogs and hurried to the Savannah Veterinary Emergency Clinic on Stephenson Avenue. While en route, Bobby telephoned the clinic to alert them that he was on his way and they instructed him to report the incident to the ASPCA’s poison hotline.

The dogs were in dire shape when Bobby arrived at the clinic, but the emergency clinic staff began working on them in tandem with poison hotline personnel. The dogs ended up staying three nights and were watched closely, with labs drawn every 24 hours to see what toxins were in their systems.

By the time the dogs were released three days later, they had recovered but seemed almost comatose, she added.

“Fin was OK, but Palmer hardly ate,” Courtney said. The following day the Lees took the dogs to their regular vet, per instructions from the emergency clinic. There, lab work showed nothing elevated. Slowly, both dogs regained strength and began to recover.

The dogs’ near-death experience has rattled the entire Lee family, including Hudson, 8, and 6-year-old Charlotte.

“The kids were scared to death,” Courtney said. “I never would’ve gotten over it if they hadn’t have made it,” Courtney said. “The dogs are part of our family.”

Courtney also has been imagining “what if,” which has made her more upset.

“If we hadn’t have been home (Palmer and Fin) would’ve died,” she said. “Unless dogs (who eat a sago palm seed or frond) get immediate attention, they don’t stand a chance.”

What to know about sago palms and pets

Local veterinarian Caroline Crider, who did not treat the Lees’ dogs but has witnessed the deadly effects of an animal eating any part of a sago palm, says the plants are extremely poisonous.

“My best advice is that if someone ever suspects their dog (or cat) has ingested or chewed ANY part of a sago palm, take them to a veterinarian immediately. Do not wait for your pet to become sick. Even with treatment, sago palm toxicity is usually fatal in dogs, which is why decontamination through inducing vomiting is so important for successful treatment,” she added.

“Every part of the sago palm, including the seed, leaf, stem and root, is toxic to dogs and cats. Avoid walking your dogs in areas with a large population of sago palms.

“If you have sago palms in your yard, it’s best just to have them removed. “

Bobby Lee is a general contractor, and the day after he rushed the dogs to the emergency vet, he secured a mini-excavator and dug up the sago palm in their backyard.

Courtney is amazed at the people who aren’t aware of the dangers of sago palms, which are prevalent in Savannah.

“My mom was telling a friend about our experience, and she said she has about 10 sago palms in her yard. They are everywhere in Savannah,” she said.

COURTESY OF LEE FAMILY Charlotte and Hudson Lee with dogs Palmer and Finley. The dogs, who are part of the family, barely survived an encounter with a sago palm in the yard. Bobby Lee dug up the plant the day after the dogs were taken to the vet.

COURTESY If you have pets, make a list of plants to avoid because they are poisonous to dogs and cats. Put sago palms at the top of your list — though they are seemingly everywhere in parts of Georgia, including Savannah.