Who ever dreamed that something as pure and delicious as chocolate could be toxic to dogs? In fact, a variety of medicines, plants, pest control products, antifreeze products, cleaning agents, and even foods can poison—and kill—dogs. The symptoms of poisoning are as varied as the dangers listed above. They include vomiting, diarrhea, labored or fast breathing, increased urination, excitability or lethargy, drooling, muscle tremors, seizures, and coma. Some affect the body within minutes—others may take a few days.
Causes and prevention
Medication. Keep all medications away from curious dogs. This includes over-the-counter products, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and vitamins.
Sometimes well-meaning owners give their dogs an over-the-counter pain medication, like aspirin, but one tablet is too much for some animals. Signs of aspirin poisoning include vomiting (often with blood), lethargy, fever, and weakness. With acetaminophen toxicity, signs can develop in just a few hours and include vomiting, lethargy, dark mucous membranes, excessive salivation, swelling of the face and paws, and dark-colored urine. Ibuprofen can cause vomiting of blood and severe kidney damage in both dogs Please contact your veterinarian before administering any over-the-counter remedy, and always follow the label on your dog’s prescription medications.
Plants. Keep household plants away from dogs who like to nibble. Many plants cause gastrointestinal upset and mouth irritation, but some cause serious breathing and heart problems. Some outdoor plants are poisonous, too. If you have any question about a plant’s toxicity, contact your veterinarian or a local plant nursery.
Chocolate. Dark or baking chocolates cause the most problems because of their high methylxanthine content, and just a little chocolate can make a dog very ill. For example, a 20-pound dog could die after eating 8 ounces of baking chocolate. Chocolate poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excitability, a fast heart rate, seizures, and possibly death. Call your veterinarian if your dog ingests chocolate. Try to determine the type and amount of chocolate so the doctor can predict the level of poisoning.
Insecticides. These products can poison sensitive animals. They include flea and tick dips, sprays, and powders for your dog, home, and yard. Insecticide poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, constriction of the pupils, muscle twitching, breathing difficulty, seizures, and death. Your veterinarian may instruct you to wash off any residual product from your dog before taking him to the veterinary hospital for treatment.
Antifreeze. This common household product contains ethylene glycol, a potent and often lethal poison in dogs. Ingesting even a small amount of the sweet liquid can lead to death. One tablespoon can kill a dog. Keep antifreeze away from children and dogs. Unfortunately, not everyone exercises such caution or is aware of the danger, and roaming dogs may ingest the liquid elsewhere without your knowledge. Signs of poisoning usually occur within 30 minutes to 12 hours. They include vomiting, lethargy, increased urination followed by complete kidney shutdown, seizures, and coma. Prompt veterinary treatment may save your dog’s life.
Pest control products. Snail, rat, mouse, mole, gopher, and coyote baits are extremely toxic and often result in death. Strychnine and metaldehyde cause severe agitation, seizures, and death, sometimes within minutes of ingestion. Some preparations look like dog food and taste good to dogs, so don’t use these products if you have dogs. Rat and mouse poisons containing warfarin can cause bleeding disorders. Sometimes the symptoms won’t include obvious external bleeding, but if your dog acts lethargic, has difficulty breathing, or passes dark, tar-like stools, take him to your veterinarian immediately. Other rat and mouse poisons elevate blood calcium levels and cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, and heart disturbances.
Lead poisoning. This problem is less common than it used to be since fewer lead-containing paints and other household products are produced. Still, it occurs in dogs, especially young dogs who eat objects containing lead, such as fishing sinkers, drapery weights, golf balls, linoleum, and paint chips. Poisoning can occur from one-time ingestion of an object or from long-time3 consumption. Signs of lead poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness from anemia, and nervous system disorders, such as blindness and seizures.
As you would childproof your house for a curious baby or toddler, do so for your dog. So many items inside and outside the house are toxic, and it takes just a few seconds for your dog to get into trouble. If you have questions about a substance’s toxicity, talk to your veterinarian.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of poisoning. When you take your dog to the veterinarian, bring along the packaging from any substance your dog might have ingested, such as rat poison boxes, cleaning supply bottles, or medicine bottles. This will save valuable time and may save your dog’s life.
Be sure to keep your veterinarian’s phone number handy, as well as the
number of the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center (800-548-2423).
In addition, keep hydrogen peroxide on hand in case you need to make your dog vomit. Your veterinarian may ask you to come to the hospital immediately, or he or she might instruct you to induce vomiting at home by giving your dog about 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide per 10 pounds of body weight. If you have activated charcoal on hand, your veterinarian may instruct you to administer it. Never induce vomiting if the label on the ingested product says, "Do not induce vomiting." And don’t force your dog to vomit if he ingests a caustic substance, such as bleach or another cleaning product, or any product containing petroleum. These substances tend to burn the mouth, esophagus, and stomach and do further damage when they come back up during vomiting. Feeding your dog milk may coat and soothe his digestive tract during the trip to your veterinarian’s office.
