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Did you accidentally poison your dog? It could happen to you.

By Chris McGee

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 27Nov2008 Word count: 775 Viewed: 626 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

It's easier to keep your dog happy if it is healthy. The way to keep your dog happy and healthy is to watch where they go, what they do and never home treat for illnesses. Your dog needs you to be the alpha and make sure they avoid potential hazards.

Here a list of things every dog owner should know:

Antifreeze: Yes, dogs like the taste of antifreeze and will drink it up. Keep antifreeze away from your dog. Don't let your dog wander the hood where antifreeze could be available for them to drink. Dogs that drink antifreeze usually don't survive.

Acetaminophen (over the counter pain reliever): don't give these to your dog if trying to treat him without the advice of a veterinary and make sure the bottles are away from where they could spill and your dog will eat them. Mild poisoning has a possibility of recovering, but severe poisoning will cause the dog to die.

Alcohol: if your pet has drunk enough, this develops into slow breathing, possibly coma and cardiac arrest, or heart attack.

Bread Dough: the dough fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract results in the formation of an alcohol which in turn develops into slow breathing, possibly coma and cardiac arrest, or heart attack.

Amitraz (tick control): Make sure your dog can't chew it's flea/tick collar or if you pour on tick control, be sure to use it correctly. If diagnosed quickly, most dogs will recover. Please remember when using this to prevent ticks, it is also very toxic to your pet.

Asprin: do not give to your dog for home treatment. If you simply must give your dog aspirin, use one of the buffered products to help protect his stomach, give the aspirin with a meal, and use it in close consultation with your vet.

Carbon Monoxide: don't run your car in a garage if your dog is in there, also watch out using heaters in closed rooms or area with low ventilation. The prognosis is good if poisoning is mild; however it may take up to 6 weeks for signs of brain damage due to oxygen starvation to develop. This is irreversible.

Chocolate: Your dog will show symptoms of chocolate poisoning within 6-12 hours of eating it. Vomiting, diarrhea and hyperactivity are common. Prevention of chocolate poisoning is easy - eat all the chocolate yourself!! Whether or not a dog recovers from theobromine poisoning depends on how much he has eaten, and how severe the symptoms.

Grapes: As much as dogs seem to like them, grapes, sultanas and raisins can be very toxic to dogs, if enough of them are eaten. If poisoning is caught early, before your dog shows any symptoms of kidney failure, he should survive. However, if his kidneys have shut down and he's not producing any urine, the prognosis is poor, and he's unlikely to survive.

Lead Poisoning: If you're doing any home renovations and the paint on your walls contains lead, sanding the walls can leave paint residue around the floor. Your dog may inadvertently lick the lead containing dust from his paws or coat. In the past, there have been recalls of children's toys because of excess lead content; a puppy may chew a toy and become unwell. Lead poisoning can certainly be fatal to your dog, and some dogs that recover may show permanent neurological changes.

Molds (or moulds): The main species of mold which grows on foods your dog may eat is Aspergillus, and the toxin is called aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is one of the most poisonous substances found in nature. This can also be fatal. Some veterinarians believe that this slow poisoning by low doses of aflatoxin is under diagnosed, and occurs more frequently than we think.

Mothballs: Naphthalene is the active ingredient in most mothballs. Dogs with mild symptoms usually recover with treatment, however if your dog has liver failure, the prognosis isn't as good. Keep your dog away from sources of naphthalene.

Onions: It doesn't matter if they are cooked or raw, onions and garlic both contain thiosulphate. While poisoning isn't all that common, it still occurs and it can kill, in high doses onions and garlic are quite poisonous to him.

Organophosphates: found in some older flea and tick rinses, and although there are many newer and safer alternatives, organophosphate poisoning is still one of the top three chemical agents responsible for deaths in animals. The other two are the anticoagulant rodenticides, and ethylene glycol (antifreeze). Use one of the newer flea control products which are often more effective and much safer.

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