Print edition: 
A Wichita veterinarian wants pet owners to know that a popular houseplant can be fatal to dogs and cats.
Chuck Olson, who practices at Village Animal Hospital, recently lost a patient that had eaten part of a sago palm.
Simon, a 7-month-old chocolate Labrador, came to Olson's office after a bout of vomiting. His owners did not know what he had gotten into, but upon investigation found that he had shredded the pulp in the bulb of a sago palm that was in a large pot in the backyard.
The dog was treated with standard poison control methods and medication "to keep his liver going, but it just didn't help," Olson said. Four days after ingesting the plant, the dog experienced full-blown liver failure and had to be euthanized, Olson said.
Olson said he hadn't heard of a sago palm before treating the dog. Researching it, he learned that only about a third of pets that ingest the plant survive, even with optimal veterinary care.
"Those that do live require liver supportive therapy for months afterward," he said.
Pets that have ingested the plant may experience vomiting and diarrhea, which may go away after a day or two, he said.
"The liver failure really isn't obvious for several days," Olson said, "then it progresses pretty quickly, and by that time, I think, you are out of luck."
"I don't know of another plant as deadly" as the sago palm, Olson said.
Unity Church to hold Blessing of Animals
Unity Church, at 21st and Oliver in Wichita, will hold a Blessing of the Animals at 10 a.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 316-682-7511.
Bunny TNT to meet at Humane Society
Bunny TNT, a club for people who own and love pet rabbits, will meet at 2 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Kansas Humane Society at 3313 N. Hillside. The meeting will be an opportunity to see the new facility.
For more information, call Joyce Gedraitis at 316-683-1122 or e-mail grandmabunnyep@yahoo.com.
—Diane McCartney
