My alexandrine parrot ate cherry seed
- Thread starter Arnav
- Start date
fact, if you eat enough apple seeds or cherry pits, you could die. Apple seeds contain cyanogenic acids. Cherry pits, and seeds from related fruits, including peaches, plums, almonds, pears, and apricots, contain cyanogenic glycosides. Your body can detoxify small quantities of cyanide compounds. If you accidentally eat a cherry pit in a pie or swallow an apple seed or two, you’ll be fine. Actually,*if you swallow several seeds whole, you would absorb a minimal amount of the toxic compounds. Chewing the seeds makes them much more hazardous to your health. Children and pets are much more likely to suffer poisoning from eating the seeds than adults.
Symptoms of mild poisoning include headache, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, and vomiting. Larger doses can lead to difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and kidney failure. Reactions can include coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest. There are several treatment options, but the main thing is to limit the absorption of the chemicals from the seeds. Basically, this means it’s important to seek immediate medical attention if a child or pet is known to have eaten several seeds. Usually, the plan of action is to pump the stomach or induce vomiting. Antidotes are available, but they are somewhat controversial. If you or someone you know eats a seed or two, don’t worry… as I said, your body is well-equipped*to detoxify small quantities of cyanide compounds. They naturally occur in several foods. However, if you were wondering whether or not it’s true that the seeds and pits are toxic and potentially lethal… yes, apple seeds and cherry pits are poisonous.
How Much Cyanide Is in One Apple Seed?
So, you may be wondering exactly how much cyanide is in an apple seed and in an apple. There are about 700 milligrams of cyanide per kilogram of apple seeds. If the average apple seed has a mass of 0.7 grams, then this means there 0.49 mg of cyanogenic compounds per pip.
Cherry pits, and seeds from related fruits, including peaches, plums, almonds, pears, and apricots, contain cyanogenic glycosides. Your body can detoxify small quantities of cyanide compounds. If you accidentally eat a cherry pit in a pie or swallow an apple seed or two, you’ll be fine. Actually,*if you swallow several seeds whole, you would absorb a minimal amount of the toxic compounds. Chewing the seeds makes them much more hazardous to your health. Children and pets are much more likely to suffer poisoning from eating the seeds than adults.
Symptoms of mild poisoning include headache, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, and vomiting. Larger doses can lead to difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and kidney failure. Reactions can include coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest. There are several treatment options, but the main thing is to limit the absorption of the chemicals from the seeds. Basically, this means it’s important to seek immediate medical attention if a child or pet is known to have eaten several seeds. Usually, the plan of action is to pump the stomach or induce vomiting. Antidotes are available, but they are somewhat controversial. If you or someone you know eats a seed or two, don’t worry… as I said, your body is well-equipped*to detoxify small quantities of cyanide compounds. They naturally occur in several foods. However, if you were wondering whether or not it’s true that the seeds and pits are toxic and potentially lethal… yes, apple seeds and cherry pits are poisonous.
How Much Cyanide Is in One Apple Seed?
So, you may be wondering exactly how much cyanide is in an apple seed and in an apple. There are about 700 milligrams of cyanide per kilogram of apple seeds. If the average apple seed has a mass of 0.7 grams, then this means there 0.49 mg of cyanogenic compounds per pip.
Cherry pits, and seeds from related fruits, including peaches, plums, almonds, pears, and apricots, contain cyanogenic glycosides. Your body can detoxify small quantities of cyanide compounds. If you accidentally eat a cherry pit in a pie or swallow an apple seed or two, you’ll be fine. Actually,*if you swallow several seeds whole, you would absorb a minimal amount of the toxic compounds. Chewing the seeds makes them much more hazardous to your health. Children and pets are much more likely to suffer poisoning from eating the seeds than adults.
The above is from a Science site and agees with every thing I looked up. Just watch the bird closely for the next couple days. Any I mean any difference - dizzyness. perching eating playing should be cause to go to your AVIAN vet asap. Thats what I would do.
- Thread starter
- #4
yeah i know it contains cyanide, which is very harmful for alexandrine parrots especially. But my alexandrine didn't exactly swallow it. it just broke the seed and it was lying on the floor. he might have licked the seed though. the surrounding of the seed. and it was one small seed. but since i found out cherry seeds have cyanide and are harmful, i am a bit worried.
Cardinal
Member
- Jul 1, 2014
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- Currently I have none, but I have the capacity to adopt a minimum and maximum of two budgies - preferably a bonded pair or two males.
If he spat out most of the seed, perhaps there is nothing to worry. Is he showing any symptoms of illness?
Give him a tulsi tea. Boil water-add about 6 tulsi leaves, let it cool to lukewarm and add it to his water bowl.
It is a good health tonic though it may not detox the cyanide.
Give him a tulsi tea. Boil water-add about 6 tulsi leaves, let it cool to lukewarm and add it to his water bowl.
It is a good health tonic though it may not detox the cyanide.
- Aug 21, 2010
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RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
By now the time of danger has likely ended. I would guess cyanide would show symptoms fairly quickly. Might not be a bad idea to contact an avian vet to be sure. An appointment may not be needed, given the total time from breaking the seed to notification.
EllenD
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I just saw this thread, and I'm glad your bird is okay...
Just an FYI, while a human would have to eat quite a few seeds/pits for enough Cyanide to accumulate in their bloodstream to cause a problem, it would not take much at all to kill a parrot, even a large parrot. One seed could be enough to do it. So you have to be extremely careful that no cherry, peach, etc. pits/seeds are anywhere near your bird. I've heard of people actually trying to kill themselves with various fruit seeds that contain Cyanide, and a few have nearly done it and made themselves extremely sick in the process.
Just an FYI, while a human would have to eat quite a few seeds/pits for enough Cyanide to accumulate in their bloodstream to cause a problem, it would not take much at all to kill a parrot, even a large parrot. One seed could be enough to do it. So you have to be extremely careful that no cherry, peach, etc. pits/seeds are anywhere near your bird. I've heard of people actually trying to kill themselves with various fruit seeds that contain Cyanide, and a few have nearly done it and made themselves extremely sick in the process.
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