What it is
A dog explores the world with its nose and mouth, so it can swallow things no person would ever taste. Antifreeze tastes sweet, rodent bait is made so that animals eat it eagerly, and chocolate, grapes, raisins and chewing gum with xylitol look like a tasty snack. Painkillers for people, slug pellets, household chemicals, some house and garden plants and, in summer, water from a lake or pond covered in blue-green algae are dangerous too.
Toxic substances act in different ways. Some irritate the stomach and gut, others act on the nervous system and cause shaking or seizures, others damage the liver or kidneys, and some stop the blood from clotting. With some poisons the signs appear only hours or days later, when the body has already been harmed, which is why it matters not to wait for them.
Keep chemicals, preparations and poisons where your dog cannot reach them, and don't leave sweets on low tables or in handbags. If you suspect your dog has swallowed something, don't make it vomit yourself, and on the way to the vet take the packaging or a piece of the plant with you.
Signs you may notice
- Sudden vomiting or diarrhoea
- Drools heavily
- Shaking or muscle twitching
- Seizures
- Seems confused, staggers
- Bleeding or bruises for no clear reason
The signs depend on the substance: the dog may suddenly vomit or have diarrhoea, drool heavily, shake, have muscle twitching or seizures, seem confused and stagger. Some poisons, such as rodent bait, cause bleeding or bruising only after several days. If you see these signs or suspect your dog has swallowed something, don't wait: take it to a vet right away.
When to see a vet
If your dog has swallowed, or may have swallowed, a toxic substance, it needs a vet immediately, even if it seems well, day or night. Phone the clinic on the way and say what the dog may have swallowed and when.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.