Chinaberry poisoning in two dogs

Two young dogs became acutely ill following ingestion of fallen fruit from a chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach). Clinical signs of poisoning developed within hours and were characteristic of gastrointestinal and CNS disturbances. Despite prompt and aggressive emergency treatment, neither dog survived longer than 36 hours after the onset of clinical signs of poisoning. Necropsy of 1 dog revealed severe renal congestion, moderate hepatic congestion, and a moderate amount of serosanguineous fluid in the abdominal cavity. To the best of our knowledge, previous reports of chinaberry poisoning of dogs are lacking. However, chinaberry poisoning is well documented in human beings and other animals. Therefore, we strongly recommend that dogs, in addition to other animals, have restricted access to chinaberry trees and their fruit to prevent potential poisoning.