What can a dog get poisoned with? The cause of poisoning in a dog is eating some harmful product, usually against the will, and sometimes even without the owner’s knowledge. Some dogs enjoy finding and eating strange, often inedible objects. It may also happen that the animal eats human food that is harmful to it. What is worth paying attention to? How to prevent and treat poisonings?
What can be poisonous to a dog?
The most common cause of poisoning in a dog, which later manifests itself in gastrointestinal problems, is eating something stale during a walk. Unfortunately, despite appeals from people who care about the natural environment, you can still find moldy bread lying on lawns or old sausages thrown into the bushes. Fortunately, it is less and less common that an animal receives something spoiled, which the dog can get poisoned from, directly from its owner, with the assumption that “I won’t eat it anymore, but it won’t harm the dog.” If you want to prevent poisoning, make sure not to give your pet human food – some products that are edible and even healthy for humans can cause severe poisoning in your dog, leading to damage to the internal organs. These are among others:
- chocolate
- grapes and raisins
- xylitol (increasingly present in “fit” products)
- macadamia nuts
Another group of products that can cause serious poisoning in a dog are plant protection products, rodent and snail control products. Consuming any of them may result in the death of your pet. It should also be remembered that many drugs used by humans on a daily basis, e.g. painkillers or hormonal drugs, also pose a significant threat to dogs.
If you are interested in this topic, be sure to read the article as well “What can’t a dog eat?”.
Dog poisoning – symptoms
Symptoms of poisoning in dogs are most often gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting and diarrhea. In this way, the body tries to get rid of the harmful factor from the digestive system. However, some products may cause completely different symptoms, including: blood clotting disorders, hemorrhages, anemia, breathing problems, liver or kidney problems, dementia, and even convulsions and loss of consciousness. It all depends on what the dog was poisoned with.
Dog poisoning – treatment
If you notice that your four-legged friend has eaten something suspicious, especially from the group of chemicals or drugs, take him to the nearest veterinarian as soon as possible without waiting for symptoms to appear. The most important action in the case of poisoning in a dog is to remove the poison from the digestive tract before it begins to be absorbed. The best way is to induce vomiting or, if ingestion of a corrosive substance is suspected, gastric lavage. It may also be necessary to administer a drip, an antidote (if any) and the dog with medications to eliminate the effects of poisoning and reduce pain in the digestive system. Dissolved activated carbon is also often administered, which can neutralize many toxins. Initial treatment may take a few days, but if organ damage occurs, your pet may require lifelong medications.
Dog poisoning – home remedies
Is it possible to control dog poisoning with home remedies? If you are sure that the dog was poisoned by stale food, not chemicals or drugs, and it does not show any alarming symptoms, you can try to help it with home remedies. These are:
Starvation diet
It is considered an effective way to prevent dog poisoning. Thanks to it, the digestive tract can calmly regenerate after irritation. Such a fast should last about 24 hours. During this time, it is necessary to make sure that the dog drinks water, preferably often and in small amounts at a time – this will prevent dangerous dehydration. Fasting cannot be used on your own in puppies and dogs with chronic diseases. In such cases, you should take your pet to a veterinarian.
However, fasting is currently a controversial topic and will not work in every case. Therefore, it is always worth consulting it with your veterinarian.
Activated carbon
It is also known as activated carbon. It neutralizes toxins in the digestive tract. However, it must be administered in the appropriate dose – in dogs it is from 1 to 5 g per kg of body weight. So if you have 300 mg carbon tablets in your medicine cabinet, you need to give at least 3.5 tablets per kilogram of your pet’s body weight. In addition, it is best if they are crushed and dissolved in clean water. Giving activated charcoal in too small a dose will not hurt, but it will be ineffective.
Remedies for diarrhea
They contain ingredients that absorb bacteria and toxins, coat and regenerate the walls of the digestive tract and stabilize the bacterial flora, e.g. diosmectite (an ingredient of Smecta), montmorillonite, oligosaccharides and electrolytes. Kaolin clay can also work very well. If your dog has a tendency to get food poisoning, it is worth having such a remedy at home and giving it in the dose indicated in the attached leaflet.
Milk for dog poisoning
This is definitely a BAD idea. Giving milk will most often only make the symptoms worse. It may be a source of food intolerance or allergy.
You can read more about allergies in the article “Food allergy in dogs – diagnosis and prevention”.
Dog poisoning – how long does it last?
Symptoms of food poisoning in dogs should not last longer than 2-3 days. If vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms do not go away or even worsen over time, the dog does not drink water and becomes weak, a visit to the veterinarian is necessary. Otherwise, the animal may become seriously dehydrated, which leads to disruption of the functioning of many organs and, consequently, even death. If your dog is poisoned by eating dangerous chemicals, it is a life-threatening condition. In such a case, if the pet is cured, the effects of poisoning may be felt for a very long time.
Be sure to read the article as well “10 dangerous symptoms of disease in dogs”.
