The Pet Nurse
Dog Poisons Information
....some you may not know
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Many things can poison your dog. Some of these things may be surprising. It's important to know the regular signs of
poisoning and some of the most common poisons to your dog:
Medication
This is the number one cause of pet poisonings, whether a bottle of medication was knocked on the floor and eaten, or
a concerned owner trying to help only to overdose. It is crucial to keep all medication away and out of accessibility.
Never give your dog human mediation without consulting your vet first. Symptoms may vary, but typically include
dilated eyes, vomiting/diarrhoea, confusion, and irregular breathing/heartbeat, seizures, coma, and death.
Pesticides
Sweet smelling rat poisons that are meant to attract rodents also attract your dog. Insecticides can also be easily
accessed by your dog nosing around in the garden, and his flea/tick collar can make him sick if he chews on it. It is
crucial you keep rat bait in inaccessible places to your dog, and monitor him if he wears a flea/tick collar or is in the
garden. Pesticide poisoning symptoms include: Fatigue, pale gums, internal bleeding, nosebleeds, blood in urine/stool,
excessive drooling, breathing difficulty, muscle tremors, and death.
Antifreeze & Other Chemicals
These contain sweet-tasting ethylene glycol, among other dangerous chemicals, highly fatal to pets even in the smallest
amounts. Keep all chemicals out of canine reach. Symptoms of ingestion include vomiting/diarrhoea, dilated eyes,
depression, increased thirst, kidney failure, seizures, irregular heartbeat/breathing, coma, and death.
Household & Garden Plants
Most plants in large amounts can be potentially toxic. These common flowers are particularly dangerous: amaryllis,
aconite, azalea, belladonna, buckeye, foxgloves, hyacinth, hydrangea, ivy, all species of lily, night shade, rhododendron,
tulip, and yew. Symptoms of ingestion include: dilated eyes, vomiting/diarrhoea, irritation around mouth, swelling of
the mouth and throat, excessive drooling, excessive thirst, irregular heartbeat/breathing, muscle tremors, seizures,
coma, and death.
Chocolate
Theobromine, a chemical similar to caffeine, cannot be easily metabolized by animals. Depending on the type of
chocolate and your pet's size reveals how much can be deadly. Just one square of dark's chocolate is fatal to a 5 kg
dog, and 2 squares are deadly to a 10kg dog. Signs include vomiting/diarrhoea, irregular heartbeat, hyperactivity,
muscle tremors, seizures, cardiac arrest, and death.
Alcohol
Even so much as a drop of beer can cause intoxication. However, alcohol poisoning doesn't come from just alcoholic
beverages, but also vanilla extract, and raw bread dough. The fermented yeast of swallowed dough can cause not only
alcohol poisoning, but also bloat or intestinal rupture. Symptoms include: disorientation, vomiting/diarrhoea, seizure,
coma, swollen stomach, seizures, coma, and death.
www.the-pet-nurse.co.uk
07754269810
© Bryony Peacock RVN MBVNA 2011
Bryony.thepetnurse@gmail.com
The Pet Nurse
Dog Poisons Information
....some you may not know
17 Browns square
St Neots
Cambs
PE19 1PE
Onions & Garlic
Ingested in large amounts can be fatal. A chemical found in these foods, thiosulphate, causes the red blood cells in the
blood stream to rupture, resulting in anaemia. Baby food containing onion powder has killed puppies. Symptoms
include difficulty breathing, vomiting, weakness, irregular heartbeat, and jaundice.
Xylitol
This artificial sweetener is found in sugarless sweets and gum and can be potentially deadly to your dog as his blood
sugar rapidly drops. Symptoms include fatigue, staggering, irregular heartbeat/breathing, seizures, coma, and death.
Grapes and Raisins
Just a handful of either can be fatal to some dogs. Symptoms include vomiting/diarrhoea, foamy/bloody urine, irregular
heartbeat/breathing, restlessness, kidney failure, and death.
Avocado
All products of the avocado plant are poisonous to canines, including avocado fruit and guacamole dip made from it. It
destroys the heart muscle and other tissues, including the lungs. Signs of poisoning include difficulty breathing,
irregular heartbeat, swollen abdomen, fluid build up around the heart, seizures, coma, and death.
Typical dog reactions to poison:
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Vomiting or diarrhoea
Irregular heartbeat
Dilated pupils
Difficulty breathing
Pale gums
Swollen abdomen
Muscle tremors
Bloody/painful urination or defecation
Bleeding from any orifice
If your dog has any of these symptoms, it is crucial you get your pet to the vet immediately If you suspect your pet has
eaten something toxic, never wait for the symptoms to develop
www.the-pet-nurse.co.uk
07754269810
© Bryony Peacock RVN MBVNA 2011
Bryony.thepetnurse@gmail.com