Common Toxicities in Dogs
By Dr.Divyansh Jindal
There are a number of food substances which may or may not be harmful to us (Pet parents) but are harmful to pets. So it becomes important to know which common household substances are toxic for pets.
Let’s start with Toxic Foods first
- Chocolates:-
- Chocolate is the most common toxic substance. Toxicity of chocolate varies depending on the type and cocoa content. The darker the chocolate is, the more dangerous it is for dogs.
- Chocolates contain Theobromine and caffeine as toxins. So you should avoid feeding chocolates to your pets.
- Clinical Signs:- Pets may show vomiting and diarrhea as 1st signs and as chocolate gets absorbed into blood it can cause nervous signs (hyper-excitation, weakness, seizures) and can cause increased and erratic heart rate which may even lead to death. So take your pet to Veterinarian as soon as possible.
- Onions/garlic:-
- Both cooked and raw onions are toxic.
- It causes destruction of RBCs leading to anaemia
- Clinical Signs:- Anaemia is the cause of the primary signs (exercise intolerance, lethargy). Red to amber coloured urine.
- Grapes/Raisins:-
- Can cause kidney failure.
- Don’t give grapes/raisins to your pet even if the dog has eaten it earlier as it may still potentiate the damage.
- Cherries:-
- Pits, stems, and leaves of cherries contain cyanide, which is poisonous and potentially lethal if consumed in high enough quantities.
- If your dog eats multiple cherries, you should look out for symptoms of cyanide poisoning. These include labored breathing, bright red gums, and dilated pupils.
- Xylitol:-
- It is a sugar substitute found in chewing gums, candies and baked goods.
- Upon absorption it stimulates insulin release for several hours leading to hypoglycemia( low blood sugar) and signs can be seen in 15-30 minutes.
- Seizures due to hypoglycemia may occur.
- Can cause liver damage and death.
- Coffee/coke:-
- Contains caffeine so causes vomiting and diarrhea, toxic to the heart and nervous system like chocolate.
- Alcohol:-
- Canines respond to the effects of alcohol much like humans.
- Some alcoholic drinks contain Xylitol which is highly dangerous, and even fatal.
- Signs depend upon the amount and concentration of the alcohol.
- In heavy intoxication cases, Decreased respiratory rate, Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), Hypotension (low blood pressure), Hypothermia (low body temperature)may occur.
Treatment of Toxicities:-
- After knowing that your pet has ingested any toxic substance pet parents can use the following non-specific treatment methods till the time the veterinarian comes.
- Emesis/ inducing vomiting)
- This is helpful only in recently ingested toxicants. Emetics are most useful in the first 2 hours of ingestion and are of limited importance after more than 4 hrs.
- Contraindicated in corrosive poisons, unconscious animals, severe respiratory distress
- Hydrogen peroxide (3%) or NaCl solution (25%) can be used.
- Adsorption therapy
- Activated charcoal is most effective for a wide variety of poisons. It is considered adsorbent of choice when toxicity is suspected.
- After the vomiting is under control, you may give your dog activated charcoal to reduce the absorption of toxins.
- Give activated charcoal @ 2.5 g/kg in water slurry, in which 1gm is suspended in 5 ml water.
After doing above 2 non-specific therapies take the pet to veterinarian for further treatment of toxicity.
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