Fruit pits potentially poisonous

Dear Heloise: One morning, one of my Labradors suddenly started convulsing and fell down on the floor. I held him and tried to figure out what was wrong. His eyes rolled back in his head, and I rushed him to the vet. It appeared to the vet to be poisoning, but I have no poison in my home or yard, and I use no chemicals of any kind. I remembered that earlier that morning he had eaten a bunch of little Italian plums (at least 20 and maybe more) that had fallen from my tree. He crunched up the PITS as he ate the plums and really enjoyed them — I thought it was healthy for him to eat. Turns out those pits are full of strychnine, and he came close to death.

It's been six months, and Jack still shows the effects of this on occasion.

The vet told me that all big stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, etc.) have strychnine in their seeds, so if your dog loves fruit like mine do, remove the pits before allowing the dog to eat them. Please share this with your readers — it might save the life of a dear four-legged loved one! — Jennifer, Salem, Ore.

Jennifer, according to Tom Vice, DVM, our longtime friend and consultant on all things animal, this is not a common poisoning, but it can happen if an animal were to chew up and ingest many of these fruit pits, as your dog did. Because it can happen, although rare, I am glad to share your story and am thankful that Jack is recovering. Folks, take heed and use caution about what your pets eat. — Heloise

Dear Readers: Pat and Lupe Harvey of San Antonio sent in a picture of their little dogs, Chica (daughter), Chanda (mother) and Timmy (father), all cuddled together in a dog bed. Timmy is named after Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs. The photo shows their team spirit, as Timmy is wearing a No. 21 jersey! If photos could talk, I'm sure we would hear "Go Spurs Go." — Heloise

Dear Heloise: Here's a hint for cat owners who must travel: When I travel, my neighbor kindly offers to "baby-sit" my cats. Not wishing to trouble her with the messy job of cleaning up litter, I came up with this solution:

I buy disposable aluminum roasting pans — they are the perfect size for a "litter box." I line them and fill with cat litter before I leave home, so my neighbor just places the used pans on the patio and puts out a clean one as needed. When I get home, I clean up the litter pans for reuse, or I can just toss them. A good solution for me, my neighbor and my cats. — Carol Walt, via e-mail

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