Poison

+ What are the symptoms of poisons?

When walking around the house it is amazing how many items we take for granted can be poisonous for our dogs. Symptoms of poisoning can range from vomiting and diarrhoea, to sudden onset breathing challenges and collapse. In some instances, the impact of a poison may not be noticed for days, or even weeks, and identifiying and treating these cases are much harder.

In all instances where poisoning is suspected to have occurred it is much better to contact us and we can guide more appropriately.

+ What are common poisons?

The following list is not comprehensive as there are many items than can poison dogs, however an awareness of common items that can cause poisoning should be known. Such common items include:

• Chocolate
• Xylitol (Sweetener)
• Raisins and Grapes
• Onions, garlic, leeks, chives
• Avocado
• Plant bulbs including: tulip, hyacinth, daffodil
• Plants including: Azelea, Autumn Crocus, Rhododendrons
• Macademia nuts
• Nicotine
• Alcohol

+ My pet has ingested a poison. What should I do?

In all instances of suspected poisoning it is best to bring in your dog and be examined.

+ How can it be treated?

Treatment is varied dependent on the type of poison. In many cases (but not all), if the poison had been eaten within the previous hour we will make your dog vomit up what may be left of the poisoning item immediately. Fluid therapy to help protect vital internal organs is critical to prevent the impact of any poison that has been absorbed and we will likely administer activated charcoal to mop up any poison that has made it into the intestine but not yet been absorbed. Beyond the basic approach, other medication and tests may need to be done to understand what is going on give the most information to help us direct treatment as required.

+ What will happen to my pet?

Poison has different effects depending on the amount taken, the route it was taken and the dog’s own body reaction. Some patients only remain for a day whilst other may require referral to a specialist for intensive care.

Monitoring the short-medium term effects will require repeated blood tests to inform us of the internal effects of the poison. Generally they will be carried out on the day of presentation and then over time until we are happy all effects have been addressed.