Poisonings

Poisoning is a frequent reason for cat and dog owners to visit the vet. The condition may occur against the background of eating seemingly harmless products or medicines. Without timely assistance can lead to serious disorders in the work of internal organs, death of the furry pet.

What is poisoning, features and types. Causes of the disease in dogs, cats

Intoxication (or poisoning) is a violation of the vital activity of the body under the influence of ingress of poisons or toxins into its systems.

The most common causes of poisoning are:

poor-quality, spoilt foodstuffs;

household chemicals, acids, alkalis;

plants;

toxin vapours, gases;

medicines;

snake bites, insect bites;

poisons to control pests, rodents (eg, rat).

Attention: the severity of intoxication depends on the type of toxin, the amount of substance ingested by the animal, the rate of absorption of poison into the bloodstream.

In some cases, the count goes on for hours (if not minutes). If intoxication is suspected, it is necessary to take the dog to a veterinary clinic to determine the causes of the disorder, selecting the optimal therapeutic course.

Symptoms and diagnostic methods

The first signs of intoxication in cats, dogs are usually vomiting, excessive salivation.

Then symptoms appear, depending on the type of poisonous substance, its dose. Clinical signs may include:

bleeding from the mouth, urinary tract, anus;

apathy, weakness;

difficulty breathing, wheezing;

diarrhoea;

tremors, convulsions;

coughing;

paresis, paralysis;

rapid (or slow) heartbeat;

difficulty breathing;

increased body temperature;

involuntary defecation, urination;

dyspnoea;

no pupil response to light;

pitting haematomas;

change in the colour of mucous membranes (whiteness, yellowing, redness).

The pet's behaviour changes dramatically. The animal becomes restless, aggressive or fearful, rushes around the room, whines, meows, seeks to hide, does not let the owners.

It is impossible to determine the level of danger on your own. It is necessary to take the dog or cat to a veterinarian as soon as possible. The doctor at the clinic will examine the animal, collect anamnesis, interview the owners about changes in the diet, care for the furry patient. Then he will be sent for additional examination, which will determine how much damage the toxin has caused to the internal organs of the animal.

Usually the pet will be given:

urinalysis;

a general blood test;

electrocardiogram;

ultrasound;

blood chemistry.

Based on the obtained data, the cat will be prescribed a set of treatment, restoring the full function of internal organs.

Treatment of the disease in pets

Before a visit to the clinic, it is acceptable to give the pet first aid. If it is certain that he was poisoned by food products, it is necessary, first of all, to wash the stomach.

This can be done in the following way:

Ask relatives to help fix the cat or dog.

Pour about 400 ml of boiled (or salted) water into the mouth with a syringe.

Massage the stomach slightly to induce vomiting.

When the stomach is completely cleared, give any adsorbent (Almagel, Polysorb, activated charcoal).
If the animal lost consciousness, resuscitation measures will have to be carried out. To cleanse the intestines, you can make an enema, provide the pet with plenty of water. Then immediately go to the veterinarian's office.

Some independent actions may cause additional harm to the animal. As first aid, it is forbidden to:

provoke vomiting in case of ingestion of acids, alkali, swallowing or cardiac disorders;

giving an enema during dehydration;

gastric lavage of an unconscious dog or cat or bleeding in the GI tract.

To relieve intoxication with chloride compounds, oils, fats should not be given. They will accelerate the absorption of poison.

Treatment in the clinic

Therapy of intoxication is selected individually. The complex of measures may include:

introduction of antidote (antidote);

elimination of cardiac, respiratory failure, dehydration;

administration of anticonvulsants;

glucose drips;

antibiotics are required when intoxication is provoked by infection.

After removing the acute condition, the pet is sent home for further treatment aimed at restoring the intestinal microflora, eliminating the consequences of toxic effects.

Especially strongly with intoxication, the liver suffers. To restore its functionality, accelerate the regeneration of damaged cells of the organ, veterinarians use injectable hepatoprotector Hepatodect. The drug has a good therapeutic effect, quickly reduces the level of ammonia in the blood. It is administered intravenously or intramuscularly and can quickly reduce the level of intoxication.

To reduce the risk of poisoning, it is necessary to monitor the quality of food consumed by the cat or dog, get rid of poisonous indoor plants, do not allow picking up food from the ground on walks. It is important to remember that even if the first signs of intoxication quickly disappeared, the pet should be seen by a veterinarian to prevent the negative consequences of the incident.