Dog food poisoning can be an extremely serious problem, which can lead to major side effects and in the worst case scenario, even death.
There are dozens if not hundreds of different items, both natural and synthetic that can lead to poisoning in your pooch. That means that for one thing it's important to be as watchful as you can be, and as careful as you can be.
For another thing that means that when it comes to dog food poisoning one of the biggest problems is determining what the poison was. Different chemicals or substances will need very different treatments, and while some symptoms are easily recognizable, others are harder to distinguish between. This can make treatment more difficult and time consuming, and of course time has to be a primary concern when dealing with dog food poisoning.
That means that anytime you fear your dog is suffering from dog food poisoning you should always try to quickly figure out what the problem was. Did some food get left out that the dog got into? Does your dog always sniff around in your yard near certain plants or weeds? Did your dog get into the garage where they could have been antifreeze spills or other hazardous and toxic materials? Determining the cause of the symptoms will enable treatment to be as effective and efficient as possible.
If your dog is suddenly struggling with dog poisoning you have two courses of action that can be taken regardless of the causes. The first is to, as described above, try to quickly determine what caused the problem. The second is to call a veterinary emergency center as soon as possible, and then to get down there as quickly as you can. When in doubt and when you don't know how to react, that's the fool proof way to go about things.
As discussed the treatment for different variations and poisons can be very different from one another. The general guideline is to induce vomiting to get as much of the substance out as possible, usually using a medication. Sometimes substances are also given to your dog to coat the stomach to prevent further absorption. Following both of these, laxatives or edemas may be given to further speed up the process of removing the toxic substance.
It can be tricky to induce your dog vomiting or coat the stomach on your own, and in many cases you won't even have the right materials to get the job done in the first place. In this situation it's really best to get to an emergency vet as soon as you can and to let them handle the process. Speed is certainly of the essence in cases of dog food poisoning.
Unfortunately the list of causes for dog food poisoning is quite vast. One common category of these are foods and spices that you keep around the home. The good news is that these typically require fairly large quantities to inflict serious damage. The bad news of course is that it can be easy to lose track of something you were using, or to lose track of what your dog can and cannot eat and feed him a piece.
Just a few common household food products that can lead to dog food poisoning include chocolate, particularly unsweetened dark chocolate, macadamia nuts, certain avocados and tomatoes, raisins and grapes, garlic and alcohol. Also be alert to keep your medication such as Tylenol and aspirin safely away from your pooch at all times.
The most serious and problematic causes are synthetic substances and chemicals. This includes things like antifreeze which unfortunately dogs are often attracted to, and can have fatal consequences. It also includes poisons, insecticides and pesticides used on your property. With any chemical or synthetic poisoning such as this action is required immediately.
If your dog is having violent seizures (Dog Seizures) the cause could likely be strychnine, which is sold in pellets and used as poison for moles, rats and mice. Serious nervous system damage can result, and you have to take care to not only get your dog quickly to an emergency center but also to leave the dog as free from startles and other bothers as possible. Put the dog in your backseat and put a sheet, or light blanket over the dog until you arrive at the vet.
Of course this is just a brief overview of the many causes, symptoms and solutions involved with dog food poisoning, but it should give you a head start if anything unfortunate happens.
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