Cycad Toxicity

Enrollment Status: Currently Enrolling 

Inclusion Criteria:  Your dog is eligible for this study if she or he has been witnessed ingesting, or you highly suspect they have recently ingested material from a cycad and will be hospitalized for treatment. Cycads include sago palm, coontie palms, and cardboard palms, among others.

Exclusion Criteria:  If liver injury is present.

Treatment: Along with routine samples for routine lab work, we will draw additional blood (less than 1 tsp) from either an intravenous (IV) catheter or vein and it will be submitted to measure cycasin, BMAA, MAM, and formaldehyde levels. Typically, blood from the study will be collected at the same time as blood for routine monitoring of your dog’s liver values. However, we may need to collect blood an additional 1-2 times depending on the timing of their admission. 

No other interventions and no additional treatments will be performed on your pet as part of the study. Any other care your pet receives will be part of your pet’s standard of care treatment and will be discussed with you by your pet’s doctor. 

Cost: The study will cover the cost of the additional blood samples (cycasin, BMAA, MAM, and formaldehyde). No other cost benefit is provided.  

Contacts: Please fill out the study interest form or mention the study to your Emergency Care doctor.

Study Investigators: Dr. Jake Wolf & Dr. Lauren Haire

Background: The purpose of this study is to look at blood measurements of four toxins (cycasin, beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine or BMAA, methylazoxymethanol or MAM, and formaldehyde) associated with liver injury or failure in dogs who ingest any part of a cycad plant.