11/13/2025
Cam Jones is a tale in rescue that no one wants to tell. He was originally going to be euthanized in a rural shelter at 5 months of age, when we pulled him into the safety of rescue. He’s been in a foster home just shy of a year. This past Saturday, Cam was acting lethargic, not leaving his kennel- quite unusual from his typical spirited nature. Through communicating with the foster, trying to figure out what was wrong with Cam we discovered what had happened. The foster mom is not really a plant person, however had received a sago palm about a year ago as a gift from someone when her mom had passed away. Cam came across this sago plant, and was inspired to ingest almost the entire thing! 😳 Sago plants are extremely toxic to dogs, especially the seeds. Ingestion can lead to severe liver failure, neurological damage, and can be fatal. Immediate veterinary care is critical if a dog eats any part of the plant, as treatment options are limited with an approximate 50% survival rate. Survival rate is directly correlated with the amount of time that passes between ingestion, and treatment. A day had passed before symptoms presented, and what had happened was identified. Cam was taken to Blue Pearl, which openly admitted they didn’t have much experience with sago plant toxicity- it was much more common in southern states. Cam was immediately hooked up to an iv to receive fluids, and help flush tiihe toxin out of his body, in combination with helping him feel more comfortable. A blood test was done to see what his liver values were. His AST had to be diluted down 6 times before they could even get a reading, and when they did it was 40 times higher the normal range- indicative he was in severe acute hepatic necrosis, meaning the liver is rapidly and extensively destroyed. This was at just past the 24 hour mark post ingestion. We were advised that things would get dramatically worse around 48 hours post ingestion. This once life filled, energetic dog filled with a contagious enthusiasm for life stood before us tired, drained, and struggling to muster kisses to give. It’s hard when your gut and logic know the right call to make, but conflict with your heart and emotions seeing this young dog that still has his entire life ahead of him yet. Dying from ingesting a sago plant is not a pleasant way to go. We didn’t want Cams last days to be filled with excruciating pain. We didn’t want him to suffer at all, but we could already see the life, light, and energy draining from his body as we were standing there. A second opinion was obtained just for peace of mind in making the best possible decision for Cam, and neither vet felt recovery was likely. We definitely didn’t want Cam’s final days with us to be spent in a hospital fighting an un winnable battle, just to make ourselves feel better knowing we tried everything. This decision was never about what was best for us, but about what was best for Cam- no matter how much we hated what that path looked like. It’s always about making the best choice for that animal in that moment- regardless of how it makes us feel. Sometimes the right choice, the kindest choice- is the hardest choice to make.
While we struggle not to be devastated that Cam didn’t seem to get our typical envisioned happy ever after…. He actually did. He was never officially adopted, but that’s just a formality, a piece of paper. He was a loved family member of his foster home, with humans and dogs alike that will both miss him fiercely. His foster mom loved him intensely like one of her own. His needs were met, he had a comfortable shelter, and a full belly. He was played with, snuggled, kissed, and hugged. While all of this may have only been for 11 of his 16 months of life- it’s more than most pets will ever get to experience in their lifetime. He was the lucky one out of ten cats or dogs that will find a home in their lifetime. It is better to have experienced love and value for a short while of time, than to never have experienced it at all.
Please keep Cam’s foster mom in your thoughts and prayers. This was an honest mistake, and could truly happen to anyone. We are hopeful that even just one person reads this, and becomes educated on the toxicity that sago plants possess, and can take preventative steps to keep this from occurring to even one more fur baby. Please share this post far and wide, to help spread awareness about how deadly certain houseplants can be to your fur babies.
I
