#poison help

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IF YOU BELIEVE YOUR PET IS SUFFERING FROM ANTI-FREEZE POISONING

please contact a pet poison helpline, or a vet. if you believe your pet is already far into the effects of poisoning, or you can't get to a vet;

time is critical! especially with pets, after exposure to antifreeze poisoning; 3 hours after a cat is poisoned, and 8 hours after a dog is poisoned, without treatment the prognosis will be poor.

HOW TO TELL IF MY PET IS SUFFERING FROM ANTIFREEZE POISONING?

if you don't know for sure, watch out for these symptoms;

0-12 HOURS AFTER INGESTION;

(these are the symptoms for dogs, cats will not be much different but there isn't enough research on the symptoms other animals experience)

knuckling

ataxia

seizures

hyper-excitability

stupor

coma or death (in rare cases)

these symptoms can be compared to the behavior of someone under acute alcohol intoxication and will resemble drunkness. additional symptoms may include;

lack of appetite

salivation and drooling (a symptom that may more often be seen in dogs)

vomiting

drop in body temperature

increase in fluid intake and/or urination

FURTHER SYMPTOMS WILL USUALLY BE RELATED TO RAPID BREATHING OR HEART RATE. AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME SYMPTOMS CAN BECOME DEADLY. FOR DOGS SPECIFICALLY PLEASE LOOK INTO THESE SYMPTOMS ONLINE; AS DIFFERENT PETS WILL HAVE DIFFERENT REACTIONS TO ANTIFREEZE POISONING AND MAY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS FASTER.

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HERES WHAT TO DO

the first thing to do is induce vomiting!! it may be hard, but this is a very important step!! do not be afraid to make your pets throw up.

the second thing you need to do is GIVE YOUR PET ALCOHOL. your pet will be very drunk; but this is an extremely important step. the ethanol in alcoholic drinks blocks formation of ethylene glycol’s toxic metabolites (the poison in antifreeze) that lead to acidosis, kidney damage, etc.

for a dog, give them approximately 8 shots of vodka for every 4-6 hours. for a cat, give them probably about 4-5 shots. you need to be monitoring your pet during this process, as they will most likely be experiencing strong effects from the alcohol - - and you need to make sure they are safe.

HOW TO AVOID ANTIFREEZE POISONING?

to help avoid your pet being poisoned, absolutely DO NOT LEAVE ANTIFREEZE OUT!!

even if you've just spilled a small puddle on the floor, CLEAN IT UP!

the ingredients in antifreeze cause it to smell sweet; and it is no guarantee that an animal will refrain from drinking it. even a few teaspoons can be deadly to pets, so do yours' a favor and DO NOT LEAVE ANY ANTIFREEZE OUT WHATSOEVER.