Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Poisons and dogs

What “people foods” are poisonous to dogs?
The food humans eat is not always the best choice for our canine friends. They tend to make them fat and don’t fulfill their dietary needs like a canine diet does. Even giving treats off the table is a very risky proposition. There are several things we enjoy that can actually poison your pup. They include: Raisins and grapes; macadamia nuts; yeast dough; onions or onion powder; mushrooms; chocolate; coffee and cocoa; sugarless candies sweetened with xylitol; alcoholic beverages; raw salmon; avocado; and broccoli. If they’ve eaten any amount of any of these things you should call your vet immediately. Or call :Animal Poison Control Center 1-900-680-0000
How do I make my dog throw up if he ate/drank something poisonous?
First of all, call a vet or the poison control center and ask if you should make them throw up. Some substances do as much damage coming out as they did going in… you don’t want to make the situation worse. A caustic product or substance being thrown up can cause internal tears that will make them much worse off if they vomit than if they didn’t.
If convulsions, seizures, shock or lethargy are present as symptoms, do NOT induce vomiting regardless of what they’ve ingested.To induce vomiting, give one teaspoon of Syrup of Ipecac, or two teaspoons of Hydrogen Peroxide. In a desperate pinch, a teaspoon of table salt will also have the desired effect. Vomiting only buys you more time to rush to the vet… it’s not a cure for the poisoning, so you still need to take them in.

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