Acute toxicity in dogs by Cucurbita maxima

Abstract

The objective of this research was to contribute to the clinical theoretical-practical knowledge on the acute dietary exposure of domestic dogs to squash (Cucurbita maxima). The experimental study of the acute toxicity in the dogs exposed to the dry matter (DM) of C. maxima fruit was developed using 24 clinically healthy domestic dogs, which were randomly and uniformly distributed in 4 experimental groups. Each group had clinical neurological parameters measured by the modified Glasgow Coma Scale and paraclinical parameters (complete blood count, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine), one hour before starting exposure (time 0, T0). Subsequently, each animal, depending on the experimental group, was administered DM of C. maxima fruit at a rate of 500mg/Kg (group A), 1g/Kg (group B), 5g/Kg (group C) orally (PO), as well as the administration of 200 g of the cooked C. maxima preparation as total dose PO (group D). One hour after exposure (PE) (Time 1 - T1) and 24 hours PE (Time 2 - T2), all the mentioned paraclinical parameters were measured again; likewise, the neurological clinical examination was performed every PE hour for 24 hours. Dietary exposure to the DM of C. maxima fruit in dogs did not generate any significant difference (p > 0.05) when comparing the clinical neurological and paraclinical data obtained in each experimental group of T0 versus T1 and T2. Therefore, this study showed no evidence of acute clinical or subclinical toxicity at the doses administered in the experimental model, thus it can be concluded that no acute clinical or subclinical toxicity events were generated in clinically healthy dogs exposed to the fruit of C. maxima, in the dose range of 500 mg DM/kg to 5 g DM/kg PO or 200 g of cooked PO preparation in 24 hours.