Typical dog reactions to poison:
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- 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 or contact the Dog Veterinarian
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/diarrhea, 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/diarrhea, 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/diarrhea, 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 baker’s chocolate is fatal to a 10 lb dog, and 2 squares are deadly to a 20 lb dog. Signs include vomiting/diarrhea, 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/diarrhea, seizure, coma, swollen stomach, seizures, coma, and death.
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 anemia. 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 candy 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, diarrhea, foamy or bloody urine, irregular heartbeat or 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.
Macadamia Nuts and Almonds
Macadamia nuts and Almonds, while generally not considered fatal, can cause your dog to experience severe illness. The actually toxin is not know, nor is the mechanism of toxicity. Ingestion of just a handful of nuts can cause adverse effects in any dog. Signs include vomiting, weakness, depression, drunken gait, joint/muscle pain, and joint swelling. Onset of signs typically occurs within 6-24 hours. Dogs are typically treated symptomatically and recover within 24-48 hours. In-hospital supportive care may be recommend for dogs that become very sick.
Fruit Pits and Seeds
Apple seeds, cherry pits, peach pits, and plum pits contain the toxin cyanide. Signs of cyanide poisoning include vomiting, heavy breathing, apnea tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmias, coma, skin irritation. In some cases, antidotes are available. Other treatments include oxygen therapy, fluids and supportive care. Also take note that the leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Also, the fat content is not healthy for dogs.
Rotten or Moldy Foods
Moldy or rotten foods can cause many problems for your dog, some more serious than others. Any food that seems “past its prime” should be kept out reach. Be especially careful to keep your dog away from trash cans. Botulism, often from garbage, can cause paralysis, slow heart rate, constipation, and urine retention. An antitoxin is effective only if poisoning is caught early enough. Rotten fruit produces ethanol, causing the same effects associated with alcohol or dough ingestion. Moldy foods contain toxins that may cause muscle tremors, convulsions and drunkenness. Therapy depends on the toxin. Your vet may induce vomiting. Sometimes, treatment includes activated charcoal. Supportive care with fluids and medications is often necessary.