Castor bean is extremely toxic for dogs
Ricinus communis 
Castor bean is a non-hardy shrub that is very popular in gardens and parks because of its large, palmate green-reddish leaves and the conspicuous red and spiny fruits. It belongs to the spurge family and can also be perennial in tropical climates. It is very fast-growing and unfortunately also very poisonous.
All parts of the castor bean tree contain lectins, which are very toxic for dogs. However, these are found in concentrated form in the seeds. These can cause very serious damage to the dog's kidneys.
Castor bean is also known as:
- castor oil plant
What should I do if my dog ate Castor bean?
How toxic is Castor bean?
| Toxicity: | (extremely toxic) |
| Toxic parts: | The entire castor bean is poisonous, but the seeds are particularly toxic. |
| Toxic time: | winter, spring, summer, autumn |
| Antidote: | Unknown |
If your dog shows symptoms of poisoning, it is always an emergency! Time is critical for your dog's life. You should immediately call your vet or the animal emergency services and make sure that a vet is on site and then go there immediately. For the treatment, it helps the vet a lot to know what your dog has ingested.
Occurrence Castor bean
| Plant species: | Shrub |
| Occurrence: | Gardens, Parks |
| Areas: | Europe |
| Flowering time: | summer, autumn |
| Fruit ripening: | autumn |
Symptoms
The following symptoms may occur in case of poisoning with the castor bean:
- sore mouth and throat
- vomiting (may be bloody)
- abdominal pain
- diarrhoea, sometimes bloody
- severely reduced urine output up to complete failure of urine output
- muscle cramps and spasms
- circulatory collapse
- death may occur due to kidney failure
Treatment
The vet will always try to remove the ingested poison from the body and alleviate the specific symptoms of poisoning.
There are different methods to remove the poison from the body:
1. ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: Activated charcoal can absorb toxins. If possible, it should be administered within 2 hours after ingestion of the poison, so that the toxin does not enter the bloodstream.
2. LAXATIVES: The vet may combine the administration of activated charcoal with a laxative.
3. VOMITING: The vet can also induce vomiting using medication to remove the toxin from the body.
The vet can give antispasmodic and diuretic medicines and infusions to relieve the symptoms.
More information on dog poisonings can be found here:
Further poisonous plants from A to Z
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