No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the possibility of poisoning and not only to know what to do in such situation, but also, how to detect it as well.
Poisoning with pesticides can occur quite easily. It’s enough for your dog to wander into the neighbour’s garden that has just been treated with pesticides. Outdoor cats are even more vulnerable. You can’t keep track of their movement, so they might be exposed to pesticides for a dangerously long time.
For the animal to get poisoned by pesticides, it doesn’t have to eat them (even though this is the worst option, of course). In some species, a mere skin contact or inhalation is enough. That’s why they can be so dangerous. Among the ones that are the most dangerous for cats and dogs belong:
I also recommend to use such treatment for your garden that is not dangerous for dogs or cats. You should be able to find this information easily on the packaging of the product. But you can’t recommend to your neighbours what to use so it depends on their solidarity and the poisoning may still be a threat.
Symptoms manifest themselves depending on how much poison the animal was exposed to. If the dose is too high, the breathing muscles may fail, which is followed by coma and death. The most telling symptoms are:
Some pesticides affect even the liver of the animals. Apart from nervous symptoms, these can also cause liver failure, even after you manage the primary symptoms. Manifestations of liver failure can appear with time and they include loss of appetite, vomiting, bad breath, increased liquid intake and urination. This can also end with the death of the animal.
Plenty of pesticides also disrupt the hormonal system of the animal.
Here it depends, in what way the animal got poisoned with the pesticide. If it happened through skin contact, it is necessary to thoroughly shampoo and clean the animal several times.
With any poisoning, it is desirable to induce vomiting. To this effect, it is recommended to use a 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted with water to half the concentration. At best, it is applied with a syringe into the mouth. Upon swallowing, the peroxide will start fizzing and it will cause bloating in the stomach of the animal which will induce vomiting.
Give the animal some black or rather active coal - it is able to bind toxins.
And of course, at least contact the veterinarian and consult further steps: whether it is necessary to provide an infusion which supports elimination of toxins from the body, to administer substances to suppress spasms etc.
But I recommend not to risk anything at the slightest suspicion of poisoning and to visit the veterinarian as soon as possible. In more urgent cases, you can call a pet ambulance.
Have you got any experience with cat or dog pesticide poisoning? How did it take place?
Every one of us has for sure encountered diarrhoea in our fuzzy friend. Usually, there’s nothing to fuss about, the body reacts to food that it isn’t capable to digest or that didn’t do it good. However, it is good to know, when we are capable of...
I have been sharing with you my experience with dogs and other animals for quite some time now and it occurred to me to wander a little bit into history as well, but into an interesting one! I’d like to introduce you to several well-known dog...
Allergy is a disproportionate reaction of the immunity system to common stimuli. It cannot be cured, but we can suppress its manifestations. In the last years, allergies in pets and dogs especially are on the rise. Currently, about 10% of house-dogs...
Today, we are going to take a look at the Feline Infectious Peritonitis - FIP, an utterly exceptional virus illness that always has a fatal end. Most of the cats get into contact with the viruses that cause FIP in their lifetime, even though the...
We can divide dog owners into two groups. The ones that allow the dog in bed and those that feel that this is no option. Let’s take a look at what such bed sharing with a dog actually entails.
If you like going on treks with your fuzzy friends, geocaching is something precisely for you. This way, you will liven up your trips and maybe you even discover places that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. I and my pack can’t get enough of it.
Contrary to dogs, cats have a strong bond with the place where they live. That’s why moving is very stressful for them and this stress may cause a number of diseases. It’s a good idea to plan everything well, so that you could make the situation of a...
Even though the dogs went through long years of domestication, they still retain fundamental instincts as we do. They might not be as strong as in wild dogs, but they still play a very significant role in the life of a dog and in their behaviour. So if...
Even though it’s been a long time since our four-legged furry friends lived a feral life, they still have the laws of the pack rooted deep down inside them. It is not acquired behaviour, the need to live in a pack is determined by genetics. And if...
It is no news that the dog isn’t only a pet and that it can also help saving human lives in various catastrophes. But have you ever thought about what it means for dogs to become rescuers? You haven’t? Well, then it’s the right time to set off together...
The usual pregnancy period in female dogs is indicated at about 58 – 65 days, the average is 63 days. In case of the nutrition of a pregnant female, possible changes in diet can be likened to the changes in diet of pregnant women. Pregnant female dogs...
The most frequent reason why your dog starts to gain weight is simple, as in most of people: they consume more energy than they spend. Some owners wave their arm at a well-intended warning that their pet has gained weight, stating that the dog is...
