jenny cares 

Ingestion of avocado - Persea americana
has been associated with:
--Myocardial Necrosis .....in mammals and birds and
--Sterile Mastitis ............in lactating mammals.
.Dogs, cattle, goats, horses, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, sheep, budgerigars, canaries, cockatiels, ostriches, chickens, turkeys, and fish are susceptible.
.Caged birds appear more sensitive to the effects of avocado, while chickens and turkeys appear more resistant.
The poisonous ingredient in avocado is persin.
Ingestion of fruit, leaves, stems, and seeds of avocado has been associated with toxicosis in animals;
- leaves are the most toxic part.
The Guatemalan varieties of avocado have been most commonly associated with toxicosis.
.Goats develop severe mastitis when ingesting 20 g of leaves/kg, whereas 30 g of leaves/kg results in cardiac injury.
.Sheep: acute cardiac failure developed in sheep fed avocado leaves at 25 g/kg for 5 days; 5.5 g/kg of leaves fed for 21 days or 2.5 g/kg for 32 days caused chronic cardiac insufficiency.
.Budgerigars fed 1 g of avocado fruit developed agitation and feather pulling, while 8.7 g of mashed avocado fruit resulted in death within 48 hr.
Diagnosis of avocado toxicosis relies on history of exposure and clinical signs. There are no readily available specific tests that will confirm diagnosis.
Clinical Findings: In lactating animals, mastitis occurs within 24 hr of exposure to avocado, accompanied by a 75% decrease in milk production. Affected mammary glands are firm, swollen, and produce watery, curdled milk. Lactation may provide a degree of protection against myocardial injury at lower doses.
In nonlactating mammals, or at higher doses, myocardial insufficiency may develop within 24-48 hr of ingestion and is characterized by lethargy, respiratory distress, subcutaneous edema, cyanosis, cough, exercise intolerance, and death.
.Horses may develop edema of the head, tongue, and brisket.
.Birds develop lethargy, dyspnea, anorexia, subcutaneous edema of neck and pectoral regions, and death.
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from the Merck Veterinary Manual online
See also: Bread Dough; Chocolate; Macadamia Nuts; Raisins/Grapes via the link above. 

News item C2NN by Annelies

BOSTON, Dec. 31, 2008 (Reuters)
Merck's popular osteoporosis drug Fosamax and other similar drugs may carry a risk for esophageal cancer, a FDA official said on Wednesday.
  Diane Wysowski of the FDA's division of drug risk said researchers should check into potential links between so called bisphosphonate drugs and cancer.
  In a letter in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, Wysowski said since the initial marketing of Fosamax, known generically as alendronate, in 1995, the FDA has received 23 reports in which patients developed esophageal tumors. Typically, two years lapsed between the start of the drug and the development of esophageal cancer. Eight patients died, she reported.
  In Europe and Japan, 21 cases involving Fosamax have been logged, with another six instances where Procter & Gamble's Actonel or risedronate and Didronel or etidronate, and Roche's Boniva (ibandronate) may have been involved. Six of those people died.
  Esophagitis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the tube carrying food to the stomach, is already know to be a side effect of the drugs, which is why patients are instructed to remain upright for at least a half hour after taking them. In addition, Wysowski said, doctors should avoid prescribing the drugs to people with Barrett's esophagus, which is a change in the lining that leads to the stomach. It is often found in people with acid reflux disease and itself increases the risk of cancer.

  (These drugs... Fosamax etc) aim to treat bone-weakening osteoporosis by increasing bone mass. An estimated 10 million Americans, mostly women, have osteoporosis. http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre4bu4tx-us-osteoporosis-cancer/