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Pets do 'touch the stuff,' so be careful
Bill and Linda Hurless, retired from positions in Des Plaines, just moved downstate to Decatur. They have three very large dogs: Kate, Erin and Sam. Kate and Erin are Irish wolfhounds, weighing about 130 pounds. Sam is mostly great Pyrenees.
They called a pest control agency to ensure they wouldn't encounter mice in their new Decatur home. The agency placed a rodenticide with the ingredient bromadiolone, in small, black, "pet-proof" plastic cases, in strategic places in their home. Bill asked the agency if the medication was harmful to their pets, and the response was, "Pets never touch the stuff." And they didn't - for about 10 minutes. They found the plastic container with teeth marks on it and the contents gone. All three dogs sat around and appeared as though they were each saying, "Not me. I didn't do it."
Bill and Linda wisely chose to bring their three pets into the office to be treated. After a call was made to the company that manufactured the poison, we determined that if one dog ate the poison, it was a toxic dose. But, which dog? Or was it shared by all three? Many dogs don't like to share!
Information about the chemical and the most effective treatment was obtained in minutes. Bromadiolone is a chemical that causes internal bleeding, sometimes as late as several weeks after ingestion. A chemical called apomorphine was placed beneath the eyelid in each pet to induce vomiting, so hopefully any ingested chemical could be prevented from being absorbed.
It worked for Erin and Sam, and some of the aqua-colored poison was present. Kate refused to bring up anything. Since Sam brought up some poison, he also got a dose of activated charcoal, which should help absorb any bromadiolone that might be sitting in his stomach.
Vitamin K was dispensed for each dog for daily administration for 30 days, in case enough bromadiolone was ingested to cause internal hemorrhages. Vitamin K is the most effective antidote and likely will protect each pet from any internal bleeding.
The information to take away from this episode is to always be cautious around chemicals, whether they are rodenticides, insecticides or any other chemical which is not normally classified as food.
"Pets never touch the stuff" doesn't mean your pet won't. A small dose of a rodenticide can be fatal in a dog or cat. And it's obviously made tasty so rodents will be attracted to it. So are pets. Just don't take chances with these types of chemicals, especially those designed to kill rodents or insects.
Speaking for Alex this week is Dr. Larry Baker, who practices small animal medicine and veterinary dentistry at 2800 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Write to Ask Alex, c/o Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62625 or e-mail jmatherly@ herald-review.com.
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