Poisoned Dogs – First Aid Treatment
There are numerous substances that, while harmless to humans, can be deadly to your dog. Most of these items we know to avoid and we think nothing of them. Your dog though, isn’t as lucky. Everything is fair game to a curious nose and what we take for granted a dog won’t think twice about.
The easiest way to handle poisoning is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Keeping threatening substances away from your dog is the best way, but dogs are inquisitive creatures, especially when they’re young, so prevention can be easier said than done. Punishing a dog that gets too close to an off-limits substance is a good (though not 100% reliable) way to reinforce your policy of prevention. Being careful of what plants you keep in your home is another way to prevent poisonings. A little research will usually reveal whether the plant is dangerous or not. Should a poisoning occur, knowing what substances the dog has ingested will be vital to your dog’s survival.
If a dog does ingest a poisonous substance, your first priority under most (but definitely not all) circumstances is to induce vomiting. The best way to induce vomiting is to give the dog one to two teaspoons’ worth of hydrogen peroxide and wait for five to ten minutes for the dog to throw up. However, dogs do have a limit for how much hydrogen peroxide their systems can stand; give no more than one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide per five pounds of the dog’s weight. A single millimeter of ipecac syrup will do the same job, though it does take longer to produce results, so use ipecac syrup only when you’re out of hydrogen peroxide.
Two situations where you should not, under any circumstances, use hydrogen peroxide are when a dog ingests either corrosives (such as household cleaners, drain cleaners, bleach, lye, and solvents) or petroleum-based substances, such as gasoline and turpentine (we told you that knowing what the dog ingested would be important). Corrosives should be treated with activated charcoal or milk of magnesia (or Pepto-Bismol or a similar drug). Alkalies should be treated with 1:4 diluted vinegar with water (meaning one unit of vinegar for every four units; there’s no set unit for this, but whatever unit you decide to use, make sure you’re giving generous portions of the mixture to your dog). Petroleum products aren’t so easy to treat and demand artificial respiration. In all cases, veterinary care should be sought out immediately. If ever you’re uncertain about precisely what remedies you should give to your dog, be cautious and call a veterinarian for advice.
Other than identifying the poison and remembering a way to keep it from killing your dog, dog owners also have to contend with the fact that few dogs willingly take any form of medicine provided to them. Since most emergency poison remedies are in liquid form, shoving the medicine down a dog’s throat is relatively easy, though a large syringe without a needle can also be used to squirt the chemicals into your dog’s mouth.
For thousands of years, dogs have been man’s best friend. They offer mankind blind trust and good-natured acceptance, and it is these same traits that make our canine friends so vulnerable. The least we can do to ensure our pet’s safety is to remain watchful and informed. A little information and common sense will go a long way to maintaining your dog’s health and welfare.
Pets Editor
Dog Fancy Magazine – Dog Fancy Magazine is dedicated to the care and enjoyment of pet dogs. Each issue features articles about canine health, dog nutrition, dog behavior and dog breeding.
