TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POISONS 1. Puppies are just like toddlers. When they begin their exploratory and sensory phase between the ages of 3‐9 months, they vacuum almost every imaginable piece of item off the floor, even if it isn’t organic. Adult dogs are not as desperate to seek out disgusting matter but please don’t become complacent and think they won’t eat it. I know just as many adult dogs that have fallen ill to poisonous substances as pups. 2. Younger dogs tend to pick everything up, sniffing it, licking it, tasting it, chewing it and sometimes eventually eating it. The eating bit is often what gets them into trouble, as sometimes the items they ingest are toxic or dangerous. There is no holding back on fallen items, as they often come by and pick it up before you even had a chance to bend the knees. They also fish through cupboards, go to parts of your backyard that you did not even know existed, wander into your neighbour’s front yard and dig up decaying matter. Whatever it is and wherever it is, they will find it. I always suggest scanning, storing or removing toxic items away from the dogs much the same way as you would for toddlers. 3. Some breeds like Beagles, Retrievers and Hounds are bred to seek things out and fetch them so for them it is perfectly normal to have something in their mouths all the time. It is up to you to supply good chewing items and remove bad ones. 4. Most commonly, the toxic items that dogs find are often household products, plants or certain foods. To us, many are perfectly safe because we either don't react to it or don't actually eat it. To dogs, some products cannot be digested and can cause terrible side effects. I always suggest that if the product or food item cannot be used or given to an infant, then it cannot be dog friendly either. Treat them with the same sensitivity and you should avoid many potentially life threatening situations. 5. If you suspect your dog has eaten something toxic, the first thing to do would be to read the label and follow the instruction for poisoning. If you are still unsure what to do, phone the vet clinic for advice on whether to observe your dog over the next few hours or whether you need to bring it in. Another option is the Poisons Information Line as they can also advise you on what to do according to the toxin. I find it is better not telling them it is your dog, as they sometimes can get a bit grumpy about it. Tell them it is your child instead. 6. Symptoms of poisoning are: • • • • •
Foaming at the mouth or drooling more than usual Wet or dry sticky gums (wet is from nausea and pain, dry sticky gums is from dehydration) Pale mucous membranes such as gums and inner eyelids (pale is often a result of pain and/or blood clotting disorder) Vomiting (can be just froth, bile, undigested food, semi digested food, blood or even poisonous matter) Diarrhoea © Point Cook Dog Training & Day Care. Do not copy or distribute this material without permission.
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Diarrhoea and vomiting Sudden change in colour of faeces (dark black, blood red, blood streaked, pink) Constipation (some poisons like fertilizer in pellet form can block the intestine and soft cloth like material can cause blockages by absorbing fluid and swelling) Hunched body (like it is holding its breath, this is because it has abdominal pain) Abdominal swelling or hardness Increased thirst and urination Increased attempts at urination without success Change in colour of urination (dark yellow, dark brown or red) Loss of appetite Muscle tremors and skin switching Neurological disorders such as walking in circles or like drunk Paralysis Seizures and comas Death
Sometimes some of the symptoms or effects are not seen for a few weeks as the poison slowly causes damage. Rat baits for instance can take 2‐3 weeks before signs are noticed but in the meantime they cause severe damage to organs. 7. Here are some common items found in the average yard including some plants, which must be removed, fenced off or stored safely. Unfortunately many exotic plants are toxic and commonly used in cottage gardens. To avoid poisoning your dog through your plant selection, go for natives instead. Plant or garden product
Which part?
Azalea and Rhododendron
Symptoms and effects Vomiting and diarrhoea
entire plant Bird of Paradise
seedpods
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Ranunculus and poppies
entire plant
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Daffodil and other bulb plants
Bulb
Vomiting and diarrhoea
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Wandering Jew
intense skin allergy
entire plant Oleander
entire plant
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Calla Lily
entire plant
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Privet
entire plant
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Poison Oak
leaves
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Daphne
entire plant
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Macadamia nut
temporary paralysis
nut Grape vine
fruit
acute kidney failure/death
Compost heap
rotting vegetation
severe gastroenteritis and paralysis
Cocoa mulch
mulch
liver toxicity like chocolate
Fertilizer
Pellet form
constipation and/or gastroenteritis
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8. Here are some common household items that dogs often seem to find access to. Product
Which part?
Symptoms and effects
Snail bait (Baysol)
Drooling, muscle tremors, seizures, organ failure,death
pellet Blood in urine, dark tarry faeces, coughing blood, pale gums,death
Rat bait (Ratsak, Talon, etc)
Pellet, cube Ant bait
Any form
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Bleach
Product itself
Drooling, pawing at mouth, chemical burns to digestive tract
Cleaning chemical (lime, acid, sugar soap, etc)
Any of the products
Burns to mouth, paws and intestinal tract
Plant sprays, old flea rinses
Any of the products
Vomiting, drooling, walking in circles, staggering, seizures, paralysis
Anti‐freeze
Product itself
Excessive thirst, lack of urination, abdominal pain, kidney failure
Tea tree oil
Skin burns, walking in circles, staggering, seizures
Topical treatments for humans © Point Cook Dog Training & Day Care. Do not copy or distribute this material without permission.
Dettol, skin ointments
Creams, lotions, oils
Vomiting, skin burns, mouth burns, seizures
Pain killers (Panadol, Codeine, Morphine)
Vomiting, severe gastric upset, abdominal pain, brown urine, coma, death Any tablet form or liquid form
No‐Doze stay awake products
Product itself
Agitation, heart attack, brain damage, blindness, organ failure
Illegal drugs
Any human type
Same effects on dogs but faster
Cloth, foam, sponges
Vomiting, abdominal pain, lack of faeces, lack of appetite, wet gums, dehydration, collapse, death Any of the filling or material
Pot Pourri
Contains high levels of arsenic
Any product not made in Australia Batteries
Any type including small round ones for calculators
Burns in mouth, burns to oesophagus and stomach, lack of appetite, unwell
With any household product, the thing to remember is that again if an infant cannot touch it or eat it, neither can the dog. Most poisons also affect dogs according to their weight ratio so a smaller dog is more likely to be affected more severely than a larger dog. A larger dog might only be a little sick whereas a smaller dog can easily die. © Point Cook Dog Training & Day Care. Do not copy or distribute this material without permission.
9. Here is a list of common foods that adult humans can eat but dogs cannot. Food item
Which part?
Onions, shallots, leeks
Symptoms and effects Pale gums, lethargy, weakness, amaemia
Any of it in a raw or semi cooked form Chocolate, milk or dark
Any of it including products made from chocolate
Vomiting, increased heart and respiratory rate, bleeding, seizures, coma
Grapes, raisin, sultanas
All of the fruit including skin castings from wine making
Increased attempts at urination with no output, severely ill, vomiting, kidney failure, death
Garlic
Cloves in large amounts
Upset stomach, liver damage
Stone fruits-peaches, nectarines
Can cause blockage if swallowed whole. Signs are vomiting with little or no poop, abdominal blockage, needs surgery to remove Stone inside the fruit
Avocado
Can cause blockage like peach stones, symptoms the same. Flesh can cause vomiting, upset stomach and in smaller dogs, even death Stone and flesh of the fruit
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Corn cobs
Can cause blockage if swallowed whole, symptoms the same as above
Cob itself 10. A warning on BBQ's If you are planning a BBQ with lots of guest, chances are you will be cooking onions, cooking meat and bones, cooking corncobs and having a chocolate something for dessert. Keep in mind that not everyone knows what is toxic to dogs so to be on the safe side, leave the dog at a friend's house or lock it up in a room or area where the guests cannot feed it. I myself have experienced firsthand losing a dog many years ago, because unbeknown to my husband and I, he was being fed barbeque chop bones by some of our friends. The result was a severely ill, severely uncomfortable dog within two days, and despite emergency surgery to try to remove the jammed piece of chop bone and repair his blocked bowel, he died. Cooked bones in the intestine can and will do this. SNAKE BITE If any of you live in the Point Cook, Laverton, Altona area or along a creek line or near wetlands, you are at risk of snake bite and your dog is at bigger risk because it is running off leash in the bushes and into the grasses. Snakes have been here a long time and unfortunately we are slowly encroaching more and more on their land forcing them to come out onto footpaths, front yards and even backyards. The two main snakes we have in the West are Tiger snakes and Browns, with Tigers being the main one. Tigers are not known for being aggressive and will avoid biting at all costs unless they are trod on, grabbed or directly threatened. Often people believe snakes only come out when it is sunny and this is false. Snakes come out when it is warm so even at night time, they can be out. To avoid snake bite, keep the dogs on the footpath or on short grass where you can see what lies ahead and prevent them from sniffing in grasses and bushes. If they want to swim, try to let them off near a landing which is flat and open. If you are playing fetch, please be careful if the ball lands in bushes as people have been known to be bitten by simply going to grab a ball when a snake happened to be.
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If your dog is bitten, symptoms start quickly, within 20 minutes. Dogs will begin to drool, have difficulty swallowing, stagger, pupils change shape and the dog seems to stumble and has difficulty controlling its muscles. Whether you saw the dog get bitten or you just suspect it, get it to your local vet or emergency clinic immediately. Blood tests can be carried out which determine if it has been exposed to snake bite and then treatment will follow. The larger the dog, the bigger the bill so please be prepared for this. Snake bite treatment can cost anywhere from $1500 to $5000, depending on how many anti venin vials was required as well as the intensive care therapy. For this reason alone, I would suggest: INSURANCE, INSURANCE, INSURANCE. Please consider it so you don’t get caught out, not just for snake bite but for any emergency or accident. Summary With any form of poisoning, quick treatment makes all the difference. • • • • • •
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Get the dog to the vet clinic or emergency clinic immediately (know where they are and their numbers. Put their number into your mobile phone as quite often, accidents happen when out walking) If you have any of the items ingested, bring it along for easier identification Most often, the vet would run a series of blood tests to assess the internal organs for damage The dog may be made to vomit so that the vet could look at the stomach contents The dog would then most likely be placed on an intravenous drip where it would receive fluids to rehydrate it as well as dilute the toxins in the blood Medications or antidotes may be administered also. The dog may receive a blood transfusion. If the toxin is one which makes the dog have seizures, then it is usually sedated or put into a chemically induced coma until the treatment begins to work and the effects wear off If the toxin is due to an obstruction, emergency surgery is the only means of treatment as often part of the bowel is slowly dying and needs to be removed A gastric lavage and/or enema are sometimes carried out and this involves sedating the dog and flushing out all the toxins from its oral cavity through to its anal cavity. Sometimes the organs are damaged and cannot be restored to their full function. This might not be obvious straight away and it may be a few years before you see the full effects on the toxic episode. In general, if treatment is promptly started, success is often the case Once again, be prepared for a hefty bill as the expertise of the vet, dedication of the staff, medications, surgeries, use of equipment, intensive care and round the clock nursing all adds up. Bills for emergency procedures are normally a few thousand dollars, so insure your dogs Keep this list handy and let all others involved with your dog about it. The more people know what might make your dog sick, the better the chances it can all be avoided
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