15 Cases of Treatment and Evaluation of Castor Meal Toxicosis in Dogs

Castor gourd is produced by crushing castor seeds in an expeller to extract the oil. Castor gourd is one of the most versatile natural manures. It is a truly organic manure that improves soil fertility without causing damage or rot. Castor flour contains Ricinus communis, a substance that is toxic to humans, animals and insects. One of the major toxic proteins is “ricin”, which has been reported to cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, depression and death. In this case report, 15 dogs who received veterinary treatment after eating castor gourd in Gyeongsangnam-do were classified into a group that survived during the treatment period and a group that did not, and compared the differences in clinical features, CBC, chemical, and electrolyte tests. Be careful not to allow pets access to fertilizers containing ricin, and administration of monensin is recommended as a treatment.