Poisoning

 

Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, swelling of the tongue and other mouth tissues, excessive salivation, or seizures. If your dog has any of these symptoms, get him to the vet as quickly as possible. Effective treatment depends on promptness, and in knowing what has been eaten.

 

Many common foods are actually harmful or even fatal to dogs. Some of these (listed below) will surprise you. Others are things you would never give your dog purposefully, but you should be careful to not let them be in your dog's reach. And some just need to be limited to small amounts. This is a list of common foods - it is not a full list of things poisonous to dogs.


 

Avocados (fruit, stone, and plant) are toxic to dogs. Avocados contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. They are high in fat and can trigger stomach upset, vomiting and even pancreatitis. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause signs is unknown.

Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anaemia, weakness, and breathing difficulty. Even small amounts can cause cumulative damage over time. This includes onions or chives - raw, powdered, dehydrated, or cooked.

Large amounts of garlic cause the same problems as onions. Garlic contains only a small amount of the problematic substance that is in onions. Just as with people, moderation is the key.

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill. If the dog doesn't eat enough at one time to be fatal, he can be severely damaged by eating just a few grapes or raisins regularly.

Tomatoes (plant and fruit) contain tomatine, an alkaloid related to solanine. As the fruit ripens, the tomatine is metabolized. Therefore, ripe tomatoes are less likely to be problematic for animals. (All parts of the plant except the tomato itself are poisonous to humans, although some people are sensitive to the ripe fruit also.)

Tomatoes also contain atropine, which can cause dilated pupils, tremors, and heart arrhythmias. The highest concentration of atropine is found in the leaves and stems of tomato plants, with less in unripe (green) tomatoes, and even less in ripe (red) tomatoes.

Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death.

Caffeine (from coffee, coffee grounds, tea, or tea bags) stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and even death within hours.

Diet products containing the sweetener Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Unless treatment is given quickly, the dog could die.

Walnuts. When dogs eat the seed hulls, they can get an upset stomach and diarrhoea. The real problem is the fungus or mould that attacks walnuts after they get wet (from rain or sprinklers), which produces toxins. If the fungus or mould is ingested by your dogs, they can become very ill. Dogs can take several days to exhibit serious signs of illness.

Raw liver or too much cooked liver (three servings a week) can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This can cause deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss, and anorexia. Check the label of your canned dog food to be sure that it does not contain liver if you are giving your dog liver also.

Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions, coma, or death. If you think your dog has eaten a kind of wild mushroom, and you need to take your dog to your vet, try to take a sample with you for identification.

Cooked bones can splinter and tear a dog's internal organs.

 

  • In the Garden

Everyone likes to spend time in the garden during the summer months. But make sure that your garden is safe for your dog. The gardening season has many dangers for pets, with pellets, pesticides and other chemicals more likely to be in use. Before purchasing any chemicals for your garden and plants, read the labels carefully to make sure they are safe for pets.
Most dog owners do now know about the dangers of giving chocolate to dogs but don't forget that the same principal also applies to your garden mulch.

 Make sure you choose safe, non-cocoa mulch.
(See Chocolate poisoning)


The garden shed is another potential summer hazard. Make sure your dog cannot gain access. As you are likely to be going in and out of the shed more often during the summer, make sure you have placed dangerous products out of reach of your pet. Antifreeze is sweet and attractive to pets. It is also lethal. If you notice antifreeze on your garage floor or driveway, clean the area thoroughly. If your dog ingests antifreeze, get him to a vet immediately

Many common household and garden plants and flowers can also be toxic to dogs, causing anything from skin irritations to severe poisoning and death.
Some puppies and dogs eat anything, and lead poisoning can occur in dogs that ingest lead paint chips or dust, toys, fishing weights, lead shot, some tiles, and some types of insulation. Lead poisoning can also occur in dogs that drink water that has passed through lead pipes.

Make sure your dog is kept at a safe distance from barbecue cooking and also make sure your dog is safely indoors when you mow the lawn. Finally in garden hazards, it is worth checking that your dog cannot gain access to pools or garden ponds, or make sure they can at least get out again if they do fall in.