My Dog Has Eaten Something Toxic. Now What?

Induce Vomiting

While it's not a fun thing to do, we could save our pup's life if we know how.

As a family, we are extremely cautious in our home about keeping dangerous items away from our pups, but even we just had a scary event with our precious Judea. A bag of chocolates got left on the sofa by accident, and before we realized it, Judea had gobbled done the sweet treats. We had to take immediate, fast action to ensure her well being.

Getting our dogs to vomit isn't a pleasant thought but it might be a life-saving procedure.  And, there are three potentially life-saving steps we should all follow.

First Step: Get our dog to vomit

1. As soon as it's discovered that our pup has eaten something harmful, administer 3% hydrogen peroxide. Give one teaspoon for every ten pounds of weight. Administer with a medicinal syringe, measuring carefully. Use an eye dropper if necessary.
2. Place the syringe or eye dropper in the corner of the cheek and slowly release the liquid into the cheek pocket.
3. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING IF THE OBTAIN IS SHARP, BLEACH, DRAIN CLEANER, OR PETROLEUM PRODUCTS SUCH AS GASOLINE.
4. Call the veterinarian.
5. Walk our dog around which will help the stomach feel more like vomiting.
6. Move our pup to an area that is easy to clean up., get veterinary care, and follow general guidelines on inducing vomiting.
7. Sometimes giving a little bit of canned dog food will help bring on vomiting with the peroxide.
8. If there is no vomiting after ten minutes or so, give another dose. Most veterinarians don't recommend a third dose.

Second Step:

1. Take our precious pup to the veterinarian or emergency clinic.
2. Let them examine and do a thorough assessment.
3. Follow their directions carefully.
4. Do not hesitate in getting to the vet's office, especially if the dog did not vomit.
5. Take some of the vomit with you. If you can't get the vomit, take a picture of it with your cell phone or camera to show the doctor.

Third Step:

1. Food moves from the dog's stomach and into the intestines after approximately two hours. Do not induce vomiting if two hours have passed since the ingestion of things such as chocolate, raisins, grapes, Tylenol, aspirin, antifreeze.
2. DO NOT use ipecac or salt to induce vomiting. 
3. Be aware of the medical condition of our pup.
4. If our pup looks extremely ill or doesn't respond, DO NOT induce vomiting. Get the dog to the emergency clinic or veterinarian as fast as possible. Symptoms can include looking depressed, having seizures, slow heart rate, hard time breathing, and worst of all being unconscious. 

Summertime brings out all sorts of treats and sweets along with garden supplies and potentially dangerous chemicals, fertilizers, and liquids. Be sure to take extra precautions to keep our wonderful, furry family members safe—just like we would with our 2-legged toddlers.

Our Dog's Confidence

When we adopted Hogan at the age of 18-months-old, he was a very scared, abused puppy who desperately wanted to play and be loved. We realized early on that he had fears of flashlight, touch, and men with boots on their feet and hats on their heads. Developing his self-confidence was paramount in rescuing his self-confidence and daily happiness. Our goal was to get rid of the things that scared him. But... knowing that these scary elements would always show their ugly heads somewhere, we focused on developing his self-confidence so he wouldn't be frightened any longer.

Exercise was essential. As I have repeated many times, "A tired dog is a good dog." We took him on aerobic walks at least twice a day for a minimum of twenty minutes each time.

We found things that Hogan liked doing. He loved to run so we lunged him on a long line until we were able to move to our new home designed just for our pups. The lot is over five acres and fenced for safety. Then, we set up a lure course for him to chase his beloved "bunny," - the plastic bag!

Massage worked wonders!! Hogan learned that touch can be gentle and loving, and he came to trust our hands and the hands of others.

A mini agility course was built in our yard for him to jump, walk across, maneuver with great success. We could actually see the smile on his face at the end of each run.;

The more activities, the better the self-confidence. Our dogs developing good self-confidence is no different than our children! When they feel successful and are applauded, they soar. We were amazed at how many different things that Hogan loved doing. Not all dogs will like the same things, and that's OKAY! The best activity for some is walking. Yep! Just walk, and be sure to let your pup take in all the smells along the way.

By the way, like children, dogs need and want boundaries. A well-behaved, good-mannered dog makes going anywhere much more enjoyable. And... they feel good about being balanced and in control of their behavior.

Enjoy! Play! Walk! Read to! Hang out! Take drives! The list is endless.

Another great reward for having a well-balanced, happy, confident dog, is that they find a wonderful place in their forever home and are typically not returned to shelters.

"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals." 

We'd love to hear from you:

1. What are some of the things that you do with your special dog to have fun and enjoy time together? 
2. What activities does your dog enjoy, and you can tell he or she is having a great time?
3. Do you see increased self-confidence when your dog is successful?