Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

EMERGENCIES • 25
• If the dog is unconscious or convulsing
• If the dog has swallowed an acid, alkali, cleaning solution, household
chemical, or petroleum product
• If the dog has swallowed a sharp object that could lodge in the esophagus
or perforate the stomach
• If the label on the product says, “Do not induce vomiting.”
How to Induce Vomiting and Prevent Poison Absorption
Induce vomiting by giving the dog hydrogen peroxide. A 3 percent solution is
most effective. Give 1 teaspoon (5 ml) per 10 pounds (4.5 kg) body weight of
the dog. Repeat every 15 to 20 minutes, up to three times, until the dog vomits.
Walking the dog after giving each dose may help to stimulate vomiting.
Syrup of ipecac has been recommended in the past, but hydrogen peroxide
is a better choice for dogs. Syrup of ipecac (not ipecac fluid extract, which is
14 times stronger) is only 50 percent effective and can be dangerous to dogs.
It should not be used to induce vomiting unless specifically advised by your veterinarian.
The dose is .5 to 1 ml per pound (.45 kg) of body weight, with a maximum
dose of 15 ml (1 tablespoon). Repeat in 20 minutes (once only) if the dog
does not vomit.
Once the poison has been cleared from the dog’s stomach, give him activated
charcoal 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 (recommended
for the Home Emergency Medical Kit). The dose is one tablet per 10
pounds (4.5 kg) of body weight. Products that come in a liquid or as a powder
made into a slurry are extremely difficult to administer at home with a syringe
or medicine bottle. The slurry is dense and gooey, and few dogs will swallow it
voluntarily. These products are best administered by stomach tube. This is
routinely done by your veterinarian after flushing out the stomach.
If activated charcoal is not available, coat the intestines with milk and egg
whites using 1 ⁄4 cup (60 ml) egg whites and 1 ⁄4 cup milk per 10 pounds (4.5 kg)
of body weight. Administer into the dog’s cheek pouch using a plastic syringe
(see How to Give Medications, page 567).
Intensive care in a veterinary hospital improves the survival rate for dogs
who have been poisoned. Intravenous fluids support circulation, treat shock,
and protect the kidneys. A large urine output assists in eliminating the poison.
Corticosteroids may be given for their anti-inflammatory effects. A dog
in a coma may benefit from tracheal intubation and artificial ventilation during
the acute phase of respiratory depression.