Common Drug Poisonings

Poisonous Plants 

Antifreeze Poisoning

Corrosives and Petroleum Based poisons

Insecticides

Rodent Poisonings

Chocolate Poisoning

Insect Stings

A poison is anything which can be harmful to the body.  There are some things which are not harmful to you and I, but if our dog were to come into contact with it could be lethal to them.  Dogs are by nature curious animals.  They love to explore out of the way places lie wood piles, garages, wood piles, under sinks, as well as places you might not think of like coffee tables.  In the process of their exploring they can come into contact with things such as insects, dead animals, toxic plants, chemicals, and poison baits.  Since there can be many potential causes for poisoning it may not be possible to determine what did cause the poisoning.   Below we will provide you with information on what to do as general treatment of poisonings.  If you want you can follow the links below to learn about more specific types of poisonings and how to go about treating them. 

If your dog ingests an unknown substance, it is important to determine if that substance is a poison.    Most products containing chemicals are labeled, but if the label doesn't tell you the composition and toxicity of the product, call National Animal Poison Control Center Hotline at (800) 548-2423.  Or for specific information call (900) 680-0000.  Some antidotes are available for some poisons, but they can't be given  unless the poison is known, or at least suspected to have been ingested by the circumstances.  Steps to take when signs of poisoning develop include:

1. Get your dog to the nearest emergency veterinary facility at once.

2. If possible, find the source of the poison and take it with you to the vet.  It will assist them in determining the proper treatment that needs to be rendered.

3. If you witness your dog ingesting a potentially poisonous substance, it is preferable to induce vomiting to remove the substance before going to the emergency veterinarian facility.  Also if the poison has been ingested for a couple of hours and it will take longer than 30 minutes to make it to the veterinary hospital, it may be more advisable to induce the vomiting first
   * Do Not Induce Vomiting If - the poison ingested is an acid, alkali, household or petroleum based product; if the dog is in a stupor, breathing with difficulty, convulsing, or shows signs of neurological involvement; or if the label says not to induce vomiting.

To Induce Vomiting and Prevent Poison Absorption
Giving the dog Hydrogen Peroxide will induce the dog to vomit.  A 3 percent solution is most effective.  Give one teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight of the dog.  Repeat every 15 to 20 minutes, up to 3 times, until dog vomits.  Syrup of ipecac has been recommended in the past, but Hydrogen peroxide is a better choice for dogs.   Syrup of ipecac is only effective 50% of the time and can be dangerous to dogs.  

Once the dog has vomited the poison from his/her stomach, activated charcoal should be given to bind any remaining poison and prevent further absorption .  The most effective and easily administered home oral charcoal product is compressed activated charcoal which comes in 5 gram tablets.  The dose is one tablet per 10 pounds of body weight.  If charcoal is not available, coat the intestines with milk and egg white using 1/4 cup egg white and 1/4 cup of milk per 10 pounds of body weight.  Give this mixture by mouth using a syringe into the cheek pouch. Once this is completed, rush the dog to the emergency veterinary hospital and inform them of what measures you have taken to treat the poisoning.