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Symptoms of Poisoning Requiring Immediate Attention If you suspect that your pet has been exposed to a poison, it is important not to panic. While rapid response is important, panicking generally interferes with the process of helping your animal. Take 30 to 60 seconds to safely collect and have at hand the material involved. This may be of great benefit to a vet as he determine exactly what poison or poisons are involved. In the event that you need to take your animal to your local veterinarian, be sure to take with you any product container. Also collect and bring any material your pet may have vomited or chewed, in a zip-lock bag. If your animal is seizuring, losing consciousness, unconscious or having difficulty breathing, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Think What May Have Poisoned Your Dog
Signs to Watch For:
The following vomit guide is taken from Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide, Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum Longevity, published by Rodale Press, Inc.
The Best Way to Induce Vomiting One teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide for each ten pounds of body weight can quickly induce vomiting. If you're fresh out of hydrogen peroxide, try a combination of one tablespoon of dry mustard and one cup of cold water. But, as indicated in the chart above, vomiting should never be induced when trying to purge caustic substances such as drain cleaner and petroleum-based products since they can burn twice -- once when they do go down and again if they are vomited. Note: Also, if your pooch is having trouble breathing, having seizures, has a slow heart rate, is unconscious, or has a bloated stomach, never induce vomiting. Remember a poisoned dog must be treated right away; any delay could cause his death. And every type of poison requires a different method of treatment. Here are some recent incidents that have been described. Dogs Sick from Fuel Poisonings Two owners have now reported their dogs getting sick or intoxicated from fumes of hydrocarbon fuels. One case involved a fuel leaking from a heater. The other gasoline fumes. In both case the dogs began acting strangely - they ran in circles and snapped at imaginary objects. They became intoxicated by the fumes. Hydrocarbon fumes can replace the air in the lungs and result in loss of oxygen to the brain. Household Drugs Many human type drugs can be toxic to dogs. It may surprise you that many people feel that if a human can take a drug, then so can a dog. On the reverse side of that, we know people who have borrowed their dog's prescription. Treat drugs as though you are are watching out for a small baby. Dogs will get into things out of curiosity - keep drugs out of reach. Some of those that you may believe harmless follow: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) - can be toxic to dogs.
Ibuprofen
Can lead to liver or kidney disease. Induce vomiting if possible and seek immediate veterinary help. Other drugs - even aspirin can be poisonous if too much is ingested by your dog. Just think of a dog as a baby - would you give the medicine to a baby without first consulting the doctor, and if so - what dosage level would you give him? Chemicals Antifreeze (containing ethylene glycol) ingestion- Usually one hour or less to get immediate veterinary help.
Yard Chemicals - Once one of the most common causes of irritation or illness. Such a wide variety exists nowadays that it is difficult to provide a description or suggestions for help. From fertilizers to weed or bug killers, the most common symptom is irritation to the feet followed by:
It is best to thoroughly wash the exposed area using a mild shampoo with water and flushing. Seek veterinary care. Rat Poisoning and It's Effects Rat poison symptoms may take several days to appear.
Death will be immediate w/o veterinary assistance. Rat poisons usually inhibit vitamin K, causing internal bleeding Please make people aware of the symptoms of rat poisoning. Had I known about the bleeding from the nose, etc., I might have been able to save my Airedale. (I thought she had gotten cut on something even though I couldn't see any marks.) I didn't know that rat poison causes the blood to quit clotting and that those who ingest it bleed to death internally. By the time I realized my dog was sick, it was too late. She died at the veterinarian's within 45 minutes. I also wish I had requested he keep a sample of her blood to send in for verification. I wasn't aware that the poisoning can take up to 3 weeks to do its deadly deed. My dogs are ALWAYS in their back yard or on a leash with me. I purposely put up a 6 foot high privacy fence to protect them from perverts who would harm them... sometimes, there is just no way to ensure safety of those we love. Snail Bait
Induce vomiting, contact a veterinarian. Other Insect and or rodent Poisons - usually symptoms occur within two hours - nervousness, seizures (sometimes provoked by loud noise), death. Induce vomiting and seek immediate veterinary help. Lead (found at one time in many products including paints, insecticides, and even golf balls )
Smaller or younger dogs at greater risk than are adults. - consult veterinarian Fish Hooks - your dog may be attracted to the smell of the bait and try to eat the hook. In other cases they are just caught with the hook as the pass by. Do not try to pull the hook out if it has penetrate past the barb. Usually the dog will show signs of
Seek veterinary help. Insects - Ingestion of Insects
Dogs may have irritation around the mouth area from bites or stings. Give water, induce vomiting, seek veterinary assistance. Bee Stings (also wasp, hornet)
Dogs have less reaction to stings than people. You can usually find the stinger and remove it. Most common areas are around the face and particularly the nose. Reduce swelling with ice wrapped in a towel. Spider Bites (also Ant Bites, Scorpion Stings) Insect ingestion if it is in the dog's mouth
Most spiders are nonpoisonous so bites can be treated like normal insect bites (see also bee stings). Apply ice wrapped in a towel for 10 minute intervals to reduce swelling. If poisons is suspected seek veterinary help. Snake Bites (some or all)
Usually the bite is located - either two puncture wounds (poisonous) or U shaped (non poisonous - caused by many teeth). Keep the dog calm and warm, rush to veterinarian. Toad Poisoning
Flush the mouth with water and seek veterinary care. If possible identify the type of toad. Plants There are dozens of plants that can be either irritating or poisonous. There is no way we could list all here. Our main point is to watch for eating of any plants, followed by symptoms indicating that they have an ill effect or your dog. Also note that even getting a twig or stick caught in the throat can be life threatening. You should watch for warning signs if your dog eats any kind of plant. Some dogs may be allergic to plants that are harmless to others. And, there are many plants that can be very poisonous. Each plant can result in a different symptom - any single symptom or sometimes all of the following:
These can be followed by damage to the internal organs (liver, kidneys or heart) or even death. In some cases birth defect in offspring have resulted. Get help from your veterinarian if you suspect something serious. 1-888-4-ANI-HELP (1-888-426-4435) If you suspect your dog has eaten something poisonous and you know what he ate, get the container and call either your vet or local animal hospital with the information listed in the contents. Or you can call the National Animal Poison Control Center. Take a minute and check out their web page , it is loaded with good advice. Note that the call to the NAPCC is not free, you will pay between $20 and $30 (or more). The Poop.com keeps a list of poisonous plants. Your vet may want you to bring in any samples of vomit or anything your dog has chewed. They need to determine what the poison is (or if it is poisonous). More on Poisonous Plants http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu/vex/toxic/toxic.htm More on Poisons http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0175.htm Animal CPR |
