What to do when your dog is poisoned by criminals
Here is an article from Manderston Canine
Academy
The poisoning of
dogs, as a precursor to further crimes such as burglary, robbery, rape, etc.,
is extremely common in South Africa.
We are focusing on
criminal poisoning only. There are numerous common substances in and around the
house that can be dangerous to your dog. These include chocolate, raisins,
onion, all household medicines, and of course household detergents and
insecticides. Prevention is always better than cure!
Be informed,
careful, and prepared. You should note that first aid procedures for other
poisonous substances may be quite different from those proposed herein. Ask
your vet before you act.
These first aid
measures may not be appropriate for other animals.
Which
poisons?
The most common
poisons used are organophosphates and carbamate (Aldicarb, Temik, also known as
Two-Step). Rat poison is another commonly used option.
Most poisons, with
the exception of the rat poisons, are formulated so that they have a bad taste
as a means of discouraging ingestion. Unfortunately, when these formulations
are considered, the manufacturers have humans in mind. Anyone who has spent
some time observing animals will know that a sufficiently motivated animal will
ignore a bad taste.
Identification
and presentation
Temik is easily
identified. It is in the form of tiny black or bluish/grey granules, similar to
gunpowder. Most rat poisons appear in pelleted or caked form. Other poisons are
more difficult to identify as there is a greater variety. All poisons are
presented to the dogs with food. Common presentations include polony, meat,
fish, maize meal, or bread: all rolled in, or stuffed with the poison.
Signs and
symptoms
These poisons are
extremely fast acting and deadly, even if your dog only ingested a small
amount. Even if you catch your dog in the act of ingesting the poison, there is
no time to waste. Don’t wait for your dog to display symptoms. Take action
immediately.
The following
symptoms may appear, listed in no particular order:
•Profuse twitching of the skin
•Disorientation
•Bruising in the case of anticoagulants
•Vomiting, which may include blood in case of
anticoagulant poisoning
•Confusion
•Excessive salivation
•Excessive bronchial secretion, i.e. coughing
up slime
•Excessively runny nose
•Hyperventilation
•Restlessness
•Weakness
•Somnolence
•Lethargy
•Dyspnoea, i.e. difficulty breathing
•Anxiety
•ervousness
•Convulsions
•Seizures
•Posture abnormalities, i.e. body contorted
into abnormal positions
•Diarrhoea: may be mucous; may be black or
“tarry” in the case of anticoagulant poisoning
•Abnormal pupils – either pinpoint or dilated
•Abdominal pain
•Tremors and muscle twitching
•Temporary or partial paralysis, partial loss
of movement
•Unconsciousness
•Coma
•Bleeding, from nose, gums, wounds in the case
of anticoagulants
•Acute blindness in the case of anticoagulants
•Pallor
•Blood in the urine in the case of
anticoagulants
First Aid
The faster you
act, the better your dog’s chances. Nonetheless, you should know that there are
no guarantees.
Preparations:-
1.Make sure you have your vet’s number saved
on your cell and in a prominent place in your home. Since most poisonings happen
at night, make sure your vet is available 24/7/365. If not, find an alternative
vet who is available at any time for emergencies and establish a relationship
with the practice.
2.The section below describes the emergency
procedure to follow when your dog is poisoned. You will require the following
for each dog:
1.Large syringes (60ml)
2.At least one of the following: high foam
washing powder, Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution (available from your pharmacy),
Apomorphine Hydrochloride (either powder or injection plus syringe and needle
for administration (the latter two are schedule 4 medicines, don’t worry if you
can’t get them—use one of the other methods)
3.Activated Charcoal in granular, powder, or
tablet form (available from your pharmacy or health shop), or a veterinary
preparation.
4.Castor Oil to help move the activated
charcoal through the intestines.
5.Atropine plus syringe and needle for
administration (This is a schedule 4 medicine, don’t worry if you can’t get it,
you vet will administer it.
6.The above will
need to be administered in specific dosages. Work out the dosage for each based
on your dog’s average weight and write it down clearly.
7.If you wish, you can measure and pre-package
the dry items for each dog.
8.Put everything together in an emergency kit
bag and place it in an easily accessible, yet protected place.
9.Review the contents of the bag regularly to
ensure that medicines with expiry dates are replaced when necessary and your
calculated dosages keep up with your dog’s changes in bodyweight.
Emergency
Procedure:-
Steps 1 to 4 are vital initial procedures you
should undertake immediately. Proceed with step 5 and further based on the time
it will take you to get your dog to a vet and the severity of the symptoms.
1.As soon as you suspect that your dog has
been poisoned, have someone phone the vet to let them know that you are on your
way. If you are alone, phone the vet between the following actions. Remain calm
and focus on what you need to do.
2.Remember that poisonings seldom happen for
their own sake: they are a preparatory step for a further crime. Alert your
security company and the police immediately.
3.Immediately remove your dog and any
other animals and children from the source of the poison. If it means
confining your dog in the house, do so. If you can, use a room or courtyard
that has little furniture or objects on which your dog could injure itself. If
you have to go indoors choose a place with a tiled floor if you can.
4.If your dog is conscious, not having
seizures and is not having difficulty breathing, you should induce vomiting. If
at any point during the process your dog develops any of these symptoms, stop
and rush your dog to the vet immediately. If you have tried inducing vomiting without
success for at the most ten minutes without success, stop and rush your dog to
the vet. Make sure that the dog does not re-ingest the vomit. If you can,
inspect the vomit visually for signs of the poison – it may be helpful if you
can describe it firstly to your vet, and later to the police. The following
methods are most effective:
1.Force a ball of
high foam washing powder down its throat. Prepare the ball with washing powder
and a little water. The amount should be in relation to the size of the dog.
2.Prepare a 50/50 mixture of 3% Hydrogen
Peroxide and water. Measure 5ml per 5kg body mass and force this down the dog’s
throat. A large syringe is useful for this. Walk your dog to ensure the mixture
mixes with the stomach content. Repeat the process no more than twice if the
dog doesn’t vomit within a few minutes.
3.If you have access to it, an injection of
Apomorphine Hydrochloride 0,05mg per kg bodyweight, or pull down the lower
eyelid of one eye and apply Apomorphine Powder.
5.Once you are sure that the dog’s stomach is
empty, get your dog to swallow Activated Charcoal. The dosage is 0.5g/kg body
weight (a 10kg dog would require 5g). Add between 5 and 25ml Castor Oil to the
mix—about 5ml per 10kg or part thereof. The best way to get this done is using
a granular or powdered charcoal product mixed into a slurry with a little
water, fill into a large syringe, add Castor Oil and then squirt the mixture
into the back of the dog’s mouth.
6.Only if your dog has vomited, and if you
have access to it, administer 1ml Atropine per 10kg body mass subcutaneously or
intramuscularly. Atropine inhibits vomiting and may thus cause more harm than
good if administered prematurely. In the case of rat poison, do not administer
Atropine, proceed directly to the vet.
7. Get your dog into the car and rush to the
vet. If your dog is having convulsions, or is lethargic, somnolent, or
unconscious, use a blanket or something similar as a stretcher. Be careful
carrying a dog with convulsions as you might get bitten accidentally.
8.Tell the vet what you have done from
discovering the poisoning up to the point of entering the practice. Also try to
remember when the poisoning was discovered, what symptoms presented and when,
as well as your subjective judgement of how much of the poison your dog
ingested, based on what you saw of the stomach content.
What to
expect:-
If your dog survives the initial crisis and
your vet got it through the first 12 hours, you may see:
1.A quick recovery, if you are lucky. Your dog
will continue to cough for a few days, be teary-eyed, and may be a bit weak,
and will need to eat bland food (i.e. rice and boiled, unseasoned chicken) for
a few days to give the liver a chance to recover fully. You may observe some
long term impact which may, or may not, improve with time, depending on which
systems were damaged by the poison. Your dog may thus require ongoing
supportive treatment.
2.Persistence of some of the symptoms,
specifically hypersalivation, slow heart rate, diarrhoea: often mucous due to
glandular over-secretion, vomiting, contraction of the pupils, central nervous
system stimulation with hyperactivity, mania, anxiety or depression, seizures,
difficulty breathing, Increased bronchial secretions. These are referred to as
the Muscarinic effect of the poison. While treatment for this effect is
available, the effectiveness thereof depends on the severity of the poisoning.
3.Your dog may also experience muscle
twitching under the skin, but this may progress to muscle weakness and partial
inability to move and respiratory paralysis. These symptoms may initially be
masked by anxiety and stress associated with the Muscarinic effect. They often
only manifest clearly after 36 to 72 hours and are referred to as the Nicotinic
effect of the poison. This is one of the most dangerous parts of the poison
process’s progression and many dogs die of paralysis of respiratory system.
4.Throughout the dog’s treatment, even though
you may observe apparent improvement, there is the risk of organ damage or
failure, which may lead to the dog’s death.
The
Aftermath
1.You need to report the poisoning to the
police. All police stations in South Africa have been instructed on poisonings,
but you may still meet resistance when attempting to open a case. Here are
specific charges you may lay:
1. Contravention
of Section 2(1)(n), alternatively Section 2(1)(d) of the Animal Protection Act,
Act 71 of 1962, as amended: Administer poisonous substance to animal
AND In the case of Carbamate (Aldicarb –
Temik/Sanacarb/two-step)
2.Contravention of
the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agriculture Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, Act
36 of 1947, as amended: Possession of an illegal substance, AND
3.Hazardous Substances Act, Act 15 of 1973, as
amended: Possession of an illegal substance
In order to make
these charges stick, you need to make sure the police get a sample of the
poison. Carefully collect any leftover poison from the garden or, if there is
nothing there, collect a sample from the vomit (preferably with visible samples
of the poisoned substance) and keep it in the fridge until you can hand it
over. You can also give a copy of the vet’s bill, which will be quite
substantial, to the police. It will help to substantiate the damage caused in
monetary terms. This is of course wholly inadequate as a measure of the real
damage, but it’s something concrete one can use in court. 2.You need to clean
up. This will be one of the most difficult tasks you’ll ever have to undertake.
Not only is it a messy job, it is an emotional one! Here is what you need to
do:
1.Protect yourself from the poison: It is just
as poisonous to you as it is to your dog. Wear rubber gloves, wear protective
clothing, wear decent shoes. Remember: the poison can be ingested, inhaled, and
absorbed trough the skin. Do not smoke, eat or drink, rub your eyes, or handle
any uncontaminated household articles before changing clothes and thoroughly
washing your hands, face and other exposed skin.
2.Restrict access
to all contaminated areas, regardless whether it is vomit, saliva, or any other
fluid or substance. This means no children, no visitors, and no other pets;
only the person who is going to clean up should be allowed in.
3.Collect all remaining poison from the place
where the dog was poisoned. Seal it in decent plastic containers. Sprinkle
Slaked Lime over the area and water down the entire area extremely well. Also
water down any run-off very well. You want to remove all remnants of the poison
from the surface.
4.Collect all the solid waste as well as
severely soiled articles and seal all in plastic containers.
5.Wash everything that was in contact with the
poison, including any excretions from your dog. A 10% solution of Sodium
Carbonate is recommended. Brush the solution well into the entire area and
leave for at least 8 hours. Wash off and absorb the water into an absorbent
material. Wood-based cat litter pellets work really well — a little absorbs a
lot of water and it’s easy to collect afterwards. Do not dispose of in
the drain; dispose of as described below. Wash again with a strong
household detergent and dry with an absorbent material. Do not dispose of
washing water in the drain or garden! Remember to wash window sills, walls,
doors and door frames, legs of furniture, etc.
6.All washable rugs, table cloths, cushions,
etc. should be washed thoroughly by machine – remember to remove and collect
all solid waste before washing. Use a strong oxidising detergent such as
“Vanish”.
3.Dispose of the waste:
1.If you are in a municipal area, your
municipality should be able to handle toxic waste. Contact them in connection
with the collected waste. Alternatively contact a reputable toxic waste
disposal company for assistance.
2.If you are in a rural area:
1. Do Not dispose
of anything into the septic tank since you’ll poison everything downstream of
the French drain.
2.Aldicarb/Temik: burry the contaminated
material at least 45cm deep (make sure no animal will be able to dig the stuff
up again), in excess of 50m away from wells, French drains, trenches and water
runs. Mix an equal mass of Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) or Slaked Lime (Calcium
Hydroxide) into the material. Soak well with water. Backfill.
3.Organophosphates: Burn all collected
materials and absorbent material used in washing in a place where no ground or
water contamination by smoke or ash can take place. Collect the ash, mix with
equal mass Soda Ash, and bury as above. Only burn if you are sure that no
Aldicarb/Temic was used, otherwise burry everything as above.
4.Rat Poison: it is difficult to recommend a
disposal method without knowing what is in it.
3.If in any doubt, contact your nearest Poison
Information Centre.
4.If at any time during the cleanup process,
you or a family member feels ill, don’t hesitate: go see a medical
professional. There is a real possibility that you may have been exposed to too
much of the poison and may be experiencing symptoms of poisoning yourself.
