Bonnie is a four year old lab mix whose owner called us because she had just eaten a raisin, or possibly more than one. A raisin, you might think? How is that a problem? Some foods that are healthy for us, may actually be toxic for our pets. Not only raisins and grapes, but also avocado, chocolate, macadamia nuts, onions and garlic, just to name a few. Raisins and grapes can send dogs into kidney failure.
We asked Bonnie’s owner to bring her in for a fit in appointment right away, so we could induce vomiting, She felt very sick for about ten minutes until we were confident that her stomach was empty. Then we reversed the medicine with an injection, and fed her activated charcoal, which helps bind toxins in the intestinal tract to prevent absorption. An hour after Bonnie had ingested the raisins, she was doing fine again. The outcome could have been much worse for Bonnie if her owners had not reacted so quickly.
Prevention and safety
National Poison Prevention Week is from March 19th – March 25th. Established in 1961 by Congress, this week was originated to raise awareness of poison prevention and safety. The week is an opportunity to highlight the dangers of poisonings for people and animals and how to prevent them.
Keep them safe
In general we can say: keep your pets away from table food, cleaning products, insecticides, medicines, paints and plants. For a full list of everything in and around your house that could be harmful to your pet, check this link: https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/household-hazards
Call the Poison Help line (800-222-1222) if you think your pet may have ingested something they shouldn’t have.
Keep them safe! And lots of love to happy, healthy Bonnie!