Many dog owners, especially new ones, mistakenly believe that infectious diseases are the main danger to their pets. They believe that simply getting the appropriate vaccinations will ensure their pets are safe outside.
Unfortunately, no. Poisoning is a fairly common affliction affecting dogs these days. And rat poison is usually at the top of the list. Moreover, your dog can become poisoned not only by swallowing deadly bait, but also by eating a poisoned mouse or rat. This is especially common in burrowing dogs.
Symptoms of poisoning
They can appear within an hour or even a day, depending on the composition of the poison used:
- Vomiting begins, and it is debilitating.
- Diarrhea develops rapidly, often with blood.
- It is clear that the dog is experiencing severe abdominal pain.
- Sometimes strong salivation occurs.
- An attentive owner will notice characteristic swelling of the eyelids.
- When poisoned by rodenticides, blood clotting is disrupted, which can lead to severe bleeding.
- If the poison contained zinc phosphate or ratite, damage to the nervous system in the form of convulsions is observed.
Visiting a veterinary clinic is literally vital for your pet.
First aid
Before visiting the clinic, you must do the following:
- It is essential to rinse the animal's stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate; this is done using a syringe without a needle through the oral cavity.
- Induce a gag reflex.
- If possible, give the dog absorbent substances (activated charcoal is quite suitable) and diuretics if there are also particles of blood in the urine.
Treatment and prognosis
Unfortunately, this type of poisoning is not quickly treated; a full recovery will take from 1 to 1.5 months. However, with timely treatment at a veterinary clinic, the prognosis is favorable; in most cases, the pathology can be overcome.
In some cases, an antidote (antidote), usually vitamin K, is sufficient. It's worth noting that vitamin D3 is often the poison as well.
An amateur dog breeder must know that any vitamin in large doses is life-threatening for animals.
There are no veterinary antidotes for zinc phosphate or cyanide in general, but this type of poisoning can be successfully treated with diuretics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Dogs are not very sensitive to such poisons (unlike cats), and the dose of rat poison in the bait is designed for a mouse, not a relatively large animal.
However, even after apparent recovery, it should be remembered that a dog that has been poisoned once becomes hypersensitive to it, and if poisoned again, the symptoms become much more severe.
If you want to protect your pet from this danger, don't let them out for walks alone, and always wear a muzzle. Unfortunately, cases of intentional poisoning of pets are becoming more common. So, be sure to train your pet never to pick up food from the ground. This is difficult to teach, but your dog's health is worth the effort.
