Dog Poisoning - What Every Dog Owner Should Know!Loading
We read about cases of accidental dog poisoning all too often; fatal accidents that could have been avoided if only a little more care and attention had been taken. As responsible pet owners, we need to be vigilant to prevent our dogs from coming into contact with poisonous chemicals and foodstuffs. The problem is, dogs are naturally curious about their surroundings and are forever exploring, and sniffing out new scents and tastes. Unfortunately, accidental dog poisoning happens all too often! There are many unsuspecting places, both indoors and out, where dog poisons may lurk. In the countryside, for example, your dog may find a dead animal, at some stage of decomposition, or may unwittingly nibble on poisonous plants, or poisonous mushroooms. Even closer to home there are many household products containing chemicals that may cause dog poisoning, such as cleaning products, insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, antifreeze, and highly toxic rat and rodent poisons. Some poisons are more toxic than others, causing differences in the severity of reaction, from mild irritation and sickness, to seizures, heart or kidney failure, coma, or even death. Toxins can be inhaled, ingested by swallowing or licking, and can be absorbed by the skin, or the pads of the feet. If small amounts are regularly ingested, they can build up in the system and can slowly poison your dog. Some poisons may be toxic only if ingested and may not cause harm on contact with the skin; however, if your dog tries to clean himself by licking off the poison, he may well ingest it and become sick. If your dog is prone to epileptic seizures he may be more sensitive to poisons than he would otherwise be.
Spoiled Food Can Cause Dog Poisoning
Food poisoning is normally associated with humans, but it's also fairly common in dogs as it's in their nature to forage. As they come into contact with decomposing animals and foodstuffs, they can can pick up harmful bacteria, such as salmonella and e-coli, contract food poisoning. Typical symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting and painful stomachs, followed by diarrhoea. These symptoms usually last a couple of days unless they develop a bacterial infection, in which case they may go into shock. Keep your pet safe from dog poisoning - don't feed him anything you wouldn't eat yourself, ie food past its sell-by date; if it's not good enough for human consumption, it's not good enough for your dog.
Foods That Can Cause Dog Poisoning In addition to bacterial food poisoning, there are certain foods that could be extremely harmful - potentially lethal - and should never be fed to your dog. Believe it or not, these are normal, everyday foods that you and I eat, such as onions, grapes, raisins, and chocolate. As responsible dog owners, we should be aware of those foods which should never be fed to our dogs. Imagine how you'd feel if you accidently killed your dog with kindness!
Dog Poisoning And Bones Bones are not poisonous to dogs, but they can be dangerous, so they're worth mentioning here. Cooked bones become dry and brittle and absorb liquid when in your dog's stomach which can cause constipation and blockages in the gut. Many bones, particularly chicken and turkey, can splinter causing damage your dog's mouth and throat, can cause your dog to choke, or worse, can perforate your dog's intestines.
Dog Poisoning - What To Do In An Emergency Make a note of your veterinary's emergency telephone number, as well as the normal surgery number, and keep them both handy so that if there is an emergency, you can make contact quickly. If you think your dog has accidently swallowed a poisonous substance, don't panic - stay calm, but move quickly. Telephone your veterinary immediately and give the following information - it will save time and, your swift, controlled, action could save your dog's life.
Your vet may ask you to bring your dog to the surgery immediately, or he may not want your dog to be moved and may feel it's safer if he comes directly to you.
Don't Induce Vomiting Unless Your Vet Advises It! If you suspect dog poisoning, never induce vomiting where caustic substances, such as bleach or oven cleaner, have been ingested as this will cause even more damage to your pet as they come back up. Where caustic substances have been swallowed, your vet may recommend giving your dog vinegar or lemon juice, diluted in equal amounts of water, to help reduce the burning in his stomach. You may need to use a turkey baster to get the liquid down his throat. If your dog has not swallowed a caustic poison, your vet may advise you to induce vomiting to help remove the poison from your dog's stomach. Your vet will explain what to do. If the poison ingested contains acid, your vet may recommend Milk of Magnesia to counteract the affects of the acid. When your dog arrives at the surgery, your vet may administer activated charcoal to help soak up the poisons before they are absorbed into your dog's bloodstream. If your dog has been sick, collect a sample of his vomit - a plastic bag will suffice - and if you know what your dog has ingested, collect that too, together with any packaging listing the ingredients. This information may help your vet to determine what poison your dog has swallowed and decide what treatment needs to be given. Don't worry if your vet cannot diagnose what has poisoned your dog, he should still be able to provide treatment. There will always be accidents waiting to happen.
Take another look around your dog's environment - this time from your dog's viewpoint. Do you see any potential hazards? Are there any of the above mentioned foods, chemicals or toxins easily accessible to your dog? If there's any risk of dog poisoning for your pet, lock the offending items away, or move them out of sight - above all, keep your dog safe!
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