My heart is breaking for mama as she is experiencing deja-vu. Timmy Elijah was admitted to the emergency hospital yesterday — the same hospital where I made my final transition from Earth. And, Timmy is in there for the exact same issue I was!
Mama is beside herself with grief, worry and righteous anger. Anger doesn’t feel like a very angelic quality, but even this furry angel knows that sometimes anger is warranted and needs to be released.
As you probably recall, it was only 7 months ago that I passed due to organ failure from toxicity. My doctors said that my decline could only come from two sources: a wild death-cap mushroom or a sago palm . I was at grandma’s when I became ill and mama immediately inquired if grandma had a sago palm in her yard and learned that she did.
After my transition, mama insisted that grandma remove the deadly plant from her yard. Sago palms are not only highly toxic and potentially deadly for animals, but also for humans (especially children). 80% of animals who ingest the plant will die, even with aggressive medical treatment. Grandma often watches Timmy E and Wilbur if mama’s out of town and it was imperative that the offending palms be removed.
Grandma assured us that the palms were gone.
Timmy E earlier in the day (pre-poisoning)
Yesterday, my family was at grandma’s for a family lunch. Within 10 minutes, Timmy E was seen chewing a plant on grandma’s deck — a plant that suspiciously looked like a sago palm — but it couldn’t be. We had been assured months ago that the deadly flora had been disposed.
Imagine our utter shock when grandma said she didn’t actually get rid of the palm because “it’s so pretty and what stupid animal would chew on a plant like that?”. I felt the heat exploding from mama all the way in heaven at that remark. Mama was livid (and honestly, still is)! The plant that took me away from my mama on Earth had been moved back onto the deck at puppy-mouth level!
Chewing, licking or ingesting the fronds, rootball or trunk of a sago palm will cause liver failure within hours without treatment. And sago palms are attractive to animals. They like the smell and taste.
Knowing these facts, mama rushed Timmy Elijah to the emergency pet hospital where they immediately induced vomiting, followed by alternating courses of charcoal and an iv drip to detoxify his liver.
Timmy E is a little fighter and as of this printing he is resting at the hospital. If he continues to stay steady and improve, he should be released tomorrow. Liver (and other organs) failure can happen within hours or days of exposure to sago toxins. If he comes home tomorrow, mama needs to keep a close eye on him for the next couple of days.
Anger is not a comfortable emotion, at least not for mama, but she is in a firestorm of anger and pissiness right now. And I don’t blame her.
Be kind & compassionate to your pets & kids! Know potential toxins (isn't that what google is for?)
She is angry that her own mother lied to her about disposing the palm. Angry that grandma did not seem to understand the severity of toxicity surrounding that particular plant. And immense anger when, later last night, grandma defended her actions to mama with the statement “I didn’t believe you that the plant was toxic. You can be over-dramatic”.
I normally sign-off with “peace & wags”. Today I sign off with “seething & worried…”
