How to Help Your Dog with Poisoning

One of the most common issues that dog owners face is poisoning. It is likely that every dog owner will have to address this at least once during their time as a pet owner. It is common practice to refer to any adverse reaction to a product as a "poisoning". However, the term is open to a broader interpretation. Let's resolve this issue.
The term "poisoning" describes the body's reaction to the ingestion of a toxin through the digestive or respiratory system, through the skin or blood.


For the purposes of this report, poisonings are divided into two categories: food and non-food poisonings.
The potential causes of food poisoning in animals include any food item that has spoiled or may contain toxic substances, as well as chemicals, poisons, drugs, and other substances that could cause illness.
In the absence of food poisoning, the cause may be any number of respiratory chemicals, including paint, glue, gas, and so on.
It is important to note that any of the substances we come into contact with on a daily basis could potentially be poisonous to a dog.
The most frequently reported cause of illness is food poisoning.

Symptoms of poisoning
The specific symptoms and severity of poisoning will depend on the type of poison used, the extent of poisoning of the animal's body, and the animal's overall health.
Symptoms of food poisoning are most often observed:
- Vomiting (including blood);
- Diarrhoea (including shapeless and/or bloody stools);
- Weakness and apathy;
- Sluggishness;
- Hypersalivation (excessive saliva production), and foaming at the mouth;
- Seizure.

Is there anything I can do at home to help my dog?
In the event of poisoning, it is imperative that the dog is taken to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
Without prompt veterinary attention, the majority of toxins are either fatal within the first 1-3 days or cause severe internal organ damage and metabolic disturbances that can result in the death of the animal within 10-14 days.
The longer a poisoned pet is delayed in reaching the veterinary clinic, the more challenging and extensive the treatment process will be, and the lower the chances of a full recovery.
Why you should not try to induce vomiting at home, give adsorbents, and use home remedies for a pet from the internet in general.
The answer is simple: most toxins are absorbed very quickly through the gastrointestinal mucosa. It is often the case that the moment when the poison enters the body goes unnoticed. In the majority of cases, suspicions of poisoning only arise with a delay, either at the end of the walk (at best) or after a few hours.
Trying to do something at home is a waste of precious time, the cost of which will be the pet's life or health if life can still be saved


The following list details the substances that cause the most dangerous poisonings
Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
This multi-atomic alcohol is used in a wide range of applications, including antifreeze, motor oils, brake fluids, solvents, glass cleaners, shoe polish, photographic paper, and more.
It has a sweet taste and smell that attracts animals.
The product is rapidly absorbed by the body.
The estimated lethal dose for canines is 4.4 to 6.6 millilitres per kilogram of body weight.
It is important to note that metabolites of ethylene glycol, including glycolic aldehyde, glycolic, glyoxylic and oxalic acids, present a significant risk to health and safety. These substances cause metabolic acidosis and severe kidney damage.²
- Symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning
The following symptoms may be observed: vomiting, increased thirst and urination, sluggishness, apathy, lack of response to stimuli, and possibly seizures.
It is impossible to anything at home. It is imperative that the patient be admitted to the hospital without delay. Treatment will depend on how long the poison has been in the body and the degree of damage.

Isoniazid
This substance is a pharmaceutical agent used in the treatment of tuberculosis. It has also gained popularity as a tool for tracking and hunting dogs.
Once ingested, this substance causes a number of biochemical reactions to be disrupted, which in turn disrupts the synthesis of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the main inhibitory mediator of the central nervous system.³
In dogs, the disruption of the synthesis of this substance has been linked to the development of prolonged, uncontrollable seizures.
- Symptoms of isoniazid poisoning
The rate of reaction development will vary depending on the dosage of poison received. Please be aware that symptoms, including lethargy, loss of coordination, foaming at the mouth and seizures, may appear a few minutes to a few hours after eating the bait outside.
- What can be done?
The antidote for isoniazid is pyridoxine, vitamin B6, which is available for purchase at a regular pharmacy in ampoules with a solution for injections.
It is crucial to ensure that the quantity of antidote administered is consistent with the quantity of poison ingested, irrespective of the animal's weight.
The poison tablet contains 300 mg of the active ingredient, and the antidote is administered at a rate of 1 ml per 50 mg. In the event that only one tablet is present in the bait (as is more often the case), the dog requires 6ml of pyridoxine to be administered intramuscularly. This is a viable option for a large or giant breed dog, but less so for a Yorkshire Terrier weighing between 1.5 and 2 kg. Furthermore, the bait frequently contains multiple pills, necessitating the provision of a greater quantity of antidote. Accordingly, the drug is typically administered intravenously as part of a solution.
The initial pyridoxine injections can be administered at home or en route to the clinic, particularly if seizures have already commenced. The maximum volume of the substance that can be administered to a single point of application is 0.1ml per kilogram of body weight. In accordance with the recommended dosage, a 6ml dose should be administered to a 2kg Yorkshire Terrier in three separate injections of 2ml each, distributed across different muscle areas.

Rat poison
This particular poison is also utilised by those engaged in hunting dogs, though it frequently enters the body following trips to rural areas or villages. It may also enter the body following treatments to eliminate rodents in the basements of residential buildings, shops, warehouses, and other similar premises.
Most rodenticides use anticoagulants, most commonly coumarin. Its derivatives act as antagonists to vitamin K in the body, which plays a crucial role in the prevention of bleeding.
In the event of poisoning with zoocoumarins, dogs will display indications of blood clotting disorders, including bloody vomiting and diarrhoea, bloody urine, and bruising of the skin and mucous membranes. There may also be symptoms of weakness, apathy, lethargy, dyspnoea, and pallor of the mucous membranes.
The majority of contemporary poisons have a prolonged effect, which is to say that they destroy the rodent's organism at a slow pace, resulting in death after several days. For this reason, the first symptoms may not appear immediately after the poison enters the body, but 2-7 days later.
- What can be done?
Only if your dog has eaten poison in front of you can you administer first aid before going to a clinic. In this case, you can try to induce vomiting.
Unfortunately, there is no completely safe and 100% effective recommendation. All available methods have the potential to cause complications. It is strongly advised that hydrogen peroxide solution, even when diluted, should not be used as it can cause acute inflammation of the esiphagus (called esophagitis).
One potential solution is to administer a concentrated solution of table salt (1-2 tablespoons of salt per 400-500 ml of water) to the dog. A weak solution of manganese may also be used, provided that all crystals are fully dissolved to avoid any damage to the dog's oral mucosa and esophagus.
Once vomiting has been induced, it is advisable to administer any available adsorbent to the dog (such as Enterosgel, Enterozoo, Polysorb or activated charcoal). The dosage is determined based on the size of the animal in question. The recommended dosage for small dogs is typically one teaspoon at a time, while larger dogs should receive two tablespoons at a time.
Nevertheless, the dog should be taken to a veterinary clinic for further examination and treatment.

If you are unsure of the time of ingestion and quantity of the poison, but have observed symptoms, there is no need for you to take any action at home. Take your dog to the clinic immediately!
The antidote of zoocoumarins is vitamin K1 (Konakion), which is administered via injection. The length of the course is contingent upon the severity of the condition and the rate of recovery of the body in response to the therapy. The minimum duration of the course is ten days. But it can take up to two months.
In cases of severe coagulopathy and anemia, the patient may require a blood transfusion, which may be necessary on more than one occasion.
It is important to note that not only can chemicals be poisonous, but also foods that we are accustomed to. More on this in the next article.
[1] - Bates, Nicola and Nick Edwards. "Emetics In The Management Of Poisoning." Companion Animal 19.8 (2014): 433-436.
[2] – Eder A.F., McGrath M.C., Dowdy Y.G., Tomaszewski J.E., Rosenberg F.M., Wilson R.B., Wolf B.A., Shaw L.M.: Ethylene glycol poisoning: toxicokinetic and analytical factors affecting laboratory diagnosis, Clin. Chem. 1998, 44, 168-177.