The modern world is home to many chemicals, airborne substances,
drugs and plants that can be extremely poisonous to your pets
when inhaled, ingested, or even just upon contact with its skin.
I am a veterinarian from South Africa and in this video
I'm going to give you a quick crash course on what common household products
are poisonous to your dog, what signs to watch out for when your
dog is poisoned and which immediate care and prevention methods you need to apply
in order to potentially save his life. And we're starting
right now!
Now, some poisons, such as chemicals, paint and tar on the skin
is much more obvious than others, such as ingested plant material,
drugs, chemicals or even inhaled substances.
Dogs are very inquisitive animals and will put almost anything inside their
mouths. Unfortunately, this does mean that they
are much more prone to swallowing all sorts of poisonous
material, most of the time by accident, with some
causing unpleasant side effects, whilst others can often be fatal without
treatment. If your dog possibly ingested any acids, alkalis, petroleum products,
household chemicals, non-prescribed drugs or toxic plants
and is showing any of these clinical signs displayed on the screen,
your dog might have been poisoned and you should immediately be concerned! Now,
first things first, don't panic. Immediately
remove your dog from the source of poison using safety equipment
such as gloves, masks and goggles. If your dog is seizuring,
move it to a safer area away from sharp objects
where he won't be able to hurt himself. If possible, try and identify the toxin
and if your dog has vomited, collect a small sample of it in a plastic bag
and save it for your veterinarian. It will be extremely useful
for him or her to make a diagnosis later on. Never
ever induce vomiting without consulting your veterinarian first!
As you may aggravate the problem by causing another chemical reaction or
your dog might aspirate some of the vomit into its lungs,
which will lead to a severe pneumonia. Instead,
flush out your dog's mouth with lukewarm water using a shower head
without pointing the hose directly to the back of its mouth. Contact your
veterinarian and let him know that you are on your way.
This will allow him to prepare for your arrival so that your dog can be attended
to immediately. He might need to induce
vomiting, administer activated charcoal or pump your dog's stomach in order to
try and remove some of the toxins. Toxic fumes may come from substances
such as household chemicals, insecticides, tear gas and smoke from
fires. These types of fumes irritate and
inflames a dog's airway, making it difficult to breathe as well
as causing some other symptoms displayed on the screen.
It is critical that you act quickly when your dog is
exposed to toxic fumes! Do not underestimate the amount of
damage that inhaled smoke or even toxins can inflict, as inflamed
airways can cause a dog to die of asphyxiation within hours. Move your
dog to an area away from the toxic fumes without
endangering yourself. Try and keep your dog's air passages
open and maintain its breathing. Flush out your dog's eyes
with fresh water or a dog specific eye wash.
Take the dog to the vet immediately. All sorts of chemicals,
from tar and paint remover, to gasoline and an overdose of tick and flea
medication can cause skin irritation and burns when they contact a dog's
skin. They can even affect the dog's mouth
when he licks the substance. Poisons on the skin are usually the result of
accidents, such as the dog bumping into a container
or being too close to a work area. Any substance coating your dog's fur
must be quickly identified, either by means of sight or smell.
Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. Rub large amounts of
mineral or vegetable oil into the contaminated area
to try and loosen the substance. If the area is heavily contaminated,
you can mix flour or powdered starch into the oil
to help absorb some of the poison. If the substance has already hardened,
it is better to cut away the fur. Once the substance is loosened,
use warm soapy water to bathe the area. Baby shampoo and dishwashing liquid is
ideal as it is gentle and will not cause
further irritation to the dog's skin. Rinse the area thoroughly and repeat the
process until the contaminant is completely
removed. Never use other chemicals to remove the substance,
such as paint thinners, turpentine and mineral
spirits. Check the skin and especially inside the mouth for burns.
These may take hours to appear and will often only show up in the esophagus
or the stomach. Some burns can be quite severe and will require
immediate veterinary attention. The best treatment for poison
is prevention. Always treat your dog the same way that you would treat
a young inquisitive child. Keep your dog away from work areas
to prevent them from playing where contaminants are used.
Ensure that all chemicals are safely contained and stored
out of reach of inquisitive paws and noses.
If you use rodenticides or insecticides, such as
tick or flea shampoos, make sure to read the instructions
and follow the dosages carefully. Keep human medication in a safe
and secure location. Avoid self-administration of
over-the-counter medication without consulting your veterinarian first.
When giving prescribed medication, make sure to read the label carefully,
in order to make sure that you're giving the right drug and dosage
to your pet. Do not keep poisonous plants in or around
your house. When building a fire, be aware of the materials being used
and keep dogs out of enclosed areas that may fill up with smoke.
Thank you for watching this video. If you found the content to be useful,
make sure to give the video a thumbs up, share with your friends
and family and hit that notification button as i'll be posting new videos
on interesting pet related topics every week.
As always have a lekker day and I'll see you in another video
next week. Cheers!