Dogs and poison
"Poor Polly is in the Vet's today, sick because she apparently ate rat poison at the park. Shockingly, this is a park where many dogs run free (despite the current dispute here in Berkeley as to whether or not dogs should be allowed to fun free in any of the parks), so any number or dogs might eat that poison.
Apparently we got her to the Vet's fast enough and she is getting vitamin K which is the antidote. X rays showed fluid in her lungs; presumably blood because the poison inhibits normal clotting. I'm disgusted that they would leave such things out where dogs (or even kids!) can get it."
Response
Sorry to hear about Polly. It sounds like you caught it in time. This is a good testimony for NEVER letting dogs run loose in parks, or anywhere else for that matter. God knows they will eat almost anything. It is hard enough at times to stop them from grabbing something while they are on a lead.
A tip for the future. If you suspect that your dog has eaten something poisonous (if you can't get her to the vet quickly) you can induce vomiting by giving them a half to full teaspoon full of table salt. Just open the mouth and put the spoon to the back of the tongue and empty it. They will vomit in a few minutes. This can be a life saver if you are not handy to a veterinarian. Another option is Hydrogen Peroxide 3% - one to two tablespoons every 10 minutes (repeat 3 times). If the source is a petroleum based product i.e. gasoline, kerosene or a corrosive such as found in cleaners and solvents you DO NOT induce vomiting. Instead for corrosives give an antacid such as Pepto-Bismol or Milk of Magnesia. For petroleum based problems you can give an ounce or two of mineral or vegetable oil then follow that 30 minutes later with glauber's salt.
You should also familiarize yourself with the list of plants which are toxic to dogs. This can often cause a similar effect. There are more plants than you would think, and just eating a leave, berries or some bark can be problematic. I can send you a list of poisonous house plants and outdoor plants if you wish. Another thing to consider (especially for puppies) is exposure to areas where insecticides have been sprayed for weed control. This can cause what looks similar to an epileptic seizure.
Do you know for sure that it was rat poison? The treatment Polly was given is that used for Wafarin (Decon, Pindone) poisoning. Wafarin is incorporated into grain feeds for use as a rat and mouse poison according to the Dog Owner's Veterinary Handbook. They also list a whole pile of other types of rat poison components, but the rest do not result in the same blood related symptoms. Any pet owner should not be without a good veterinary handbook; if you don't have one already it is well worth the investment. It certainly does not replace veterinary care, but it can quickly lead you to symptom/solutions or at least provide an understanding of what a problem might be.
Follow-up by owner
>Thanks for all the good wishes. Polly seems to be on the road to a little recovery from her ordeal; at least she seems to have turned the corner and is feeling well enough to each some hand held pieces of baked chicken liver. I've never seen such a pathetic animal as she was yesterday; barely able to breathe or walk. I thought she might not make it yesterday. Thank goodness we've passed that stage.
I can agree with John's comment: she will not be allowed off leash in the park again. Actually it's hard to imagine now anywhere that I will trust her off leash so Polly will be captive dog from now on, sad to say. She does so enjoy running free but refuses to come back or to stop eating something no matter what I say.
Response
It's great news to hear that Polly is on the road to recovery. We are all pulling for her. They are tougher little creatures than you can imagine and she will be just fine. It is a damn shame what happened to her, and I am sure it scared the daylights out of you. I wish you hadn't let all the other dogs on the list know that this behavior could result in hand fed baked chicken liver or they might be up to the same stunts <grin>.
Most of our older guys (over 2) are fine when they are off lead in a *secure* situation. These secure situations are few and far between however, which is unfortunate. Things like a fenced in football or soccer field without other dogs. But in these situations (except for a particular brat named TEX) all tend to hang within 10 or 20 yards of where we are, and will respond to *come* or *quit* if we want them to come back or stop doing something. If they don't they won't get off lead, or at minimum will be on a long flexi-lead that allows them to be pulled back quickly.
We try to teach *come* as a fun thing when they are very young. The training is done off-lead in the fenced yard. One of us will go to one end of the yard and one to the other. One of us will clap our hands and call them excitedly, and they come bounding across the yard and usually end with a big jump in the air. They get lots of praise, and at the beginning treats. This is repeated by the other person at the other end of the yard. It is also good training for a potential situation where they might slip off lead for whatever reason on a busy street, a dog show or some other potentially dangerous situation for the dog.
They have all the freedom in the world in our large fenced in yard which is really the only place they do run all-out, and have a ball chasing each other. There really is nothing like watching a TT or even the Lhasas going all-out especially in the snow. Our latest game is to have 5 or 6 in the yard and throw a ball back and forth (one of those fuzzy tennis balls that you catch with a Velcro disk). All of them keep running back and forth trying to catch the ball. Quite a hoot!
This is the advantage of a large fenced yard, and of course having several dogs who enjoy chasing each other or running together. Most when going for walks in the neighbourhood never reach the end of the lead. They like to stay close by and even when they get ahead a little are always looking back to make sure they know where we are. My experience in public parks have not been good. Too many irresponsible dog owners who let uncontrolled dogs off lead; always the fear of picking something up especially fleas, residual weed sprays etc.
I have also read stories about cases such as yours where some idiot has placed poison in some form or other in a public park, because of their twisted minds or dislike of roaming dogs or for whatever reasons. It is a sad state of affairs to be sure.