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A poison is any substance harmful to the
body. Animal baits are palatable poisons that encourage ingestion. This makes them an
obvious choice for intentional poisoning.
Dogs are curious by nature and have a
tendency to hunt small game, or explore |
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out-of-the-way places such as woodpiles,
weed thickets and storage ports. This puts them into contact with insects, dead animals
and toxic plants.
It also means that in many cases of suspected poisoning the actual agent will be unknown.
The great variety of potentially poisonous plants and shrubs makes identification
difficult or impossible unless the owner has direct knowledge that the dog has eaten a
certain plant or product. Most cases suspected of being malicious poisoning actually are
not.
In some types of vegetation, only certain parts of the plant are toxic. In others, all
parts are poisonous. Ingestion causes a wide range of symptoms. They include mouth
irritation, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, hallucination, seizures, coma and death. Other
plant substances cause skin rash. Some toxic plants have specific pharmacological actions
that are used in medicines.
If you think that your dog may have been poisoned, the first thing to do is try to
identify the poison. Most products containing chemicals are labeled for identification.
Read the label.
The first step in treatment is to eliminate the poison from your dog's stomach by making
it vomit. The second step is to delay absorption of the poison from the dog's intestinal
tract by coating it with a substance that binds it. This is followed by a laxative to
speed elimination.
Note: Do not induce vomiting or give charcoal by mouth if your dog is
severely depressed, comatose, unable to swallow or experiencing seizures.
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How to Delay or Prevent Absorption? |
- Mix activated charcoal (one tablet
to 10-cc water). Give one teaspoonful per two pounds body weight and follow with a pint of
water. Depending upon the dog's condition, this may need to be given by stomach tube.
Veterinary assistance usually is required.
- Thirty minutes later, give sodium
sulphate (Glauber's salt), one teaspoonful per ten pounds body weight, or Milk of
Magnesia, one teaspoonful per five pounds body weight.
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Note:If these agents are
not available, coat the bowel with milk, egg whites or vegetable oil and give a warm water
enema.
If your dog has a poisonous substance on the skin or coat, wash it well with soap and
water or give a complete bath in lukewarm (not cold) water.
Even if the substance is not irritating to the skin, it should be removed. Otherwise, the
dog may lick it off and swallow it. Soak gasoline and oil stains with mineral or vegetable
oil. Work in well. Then wash with a mild detergent, such as Ivory soap.
When signs of nervous system involvement begin to show, the dog is in deep trouble. At
this point, your main objective is to get your dog to a veterinarian as quickly as
possible. Try to bring with you a sample of vomitus, or better yet the poison in its
original container.
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