In the News: Tails of Marin
By Dr. Steve Dana
Keeping your pet safe from toxins
The recent suspected dog poisonings in southern Marin are a tragic reminder of the need to keep a close eye on your pets and to contact your veterinarian immediately if you witness ingestion of or exposure to a potentially harmful agent. Early decontamination and treatment can make the difference between simple exposure, and serious or prolonged illness. If you can, always bring the product in question with you when seeking veterinary assistance. Listed below are a few of the more common and lesser-known ingested poisonings that we often see and treat. Note that accidental ingestion of human prescription drugs or excessive ingestion of veterinary medications can also be toxic.
Mushrooms: “Death Cap” mushrooms are common in Northern California. Without early and aggressive treatment, ingestion of even a small portion of this mushroom can be fatal due to overt liver injury and failure. Inducing vomiting and giving activated charcoal is essential, along with critical supportive care and monitoring. Identification of these mushrooms is difficult because their appearance varies. Save suspected mushrooms in paper rather than plastic for later identification.
Rodenticide: Ingestion of rat poison is common in dogs. Cats can be indirectly exposed if they ingest the poison from the gastrointestinal tract of captured rodents. If a pet is not decontaminated immediately, these agents are absorbed into the blood and quickly alter the ability of blood to clot normally. Signs of poisoning are associated with internal bleeding or can be outwardly seen as blood from the nose, in urine or bruising. Vitamin K is an antidote used depending upon exposure history, decontamination or signs of toxicity.
Marijuana (THC): Dogs are extremely sensitive to small amounts of ingested marijuana or similar agents containing the active agent THC. Signs can include drowsiness, a drunken appearance, urinations/urine incontinence and low heart rates. Treatment is supportive once signs are recognized.
Xylitol (Sugar-Free Gums): Used as an artificial sweetener, xylitol, once ingested and absorbed from the gut of dogs, can stimulate elevated insulin levels, which results in lowered blood sugar and can cause serious blood salt (electrolyte) changes. Signs can progress from weakness to even seizures and require supportive care in the hospital.
Macadamia Nuts: An unknown agent in these nuts can cause muscle weakness, drowsiness, joint pain, stiffness and tremors. There is no antidote; treatment is supportive and signs are often self-limiting.
Chocolate: A problem in dogs for two reasons — gastrointestinal upset from fats and sugar, as well as heart and nervous system effects from agents known as methylxanthines. These agents have no antidote, and serious acute as well as delayed signs include excitement, agitation, seizures, coma and heart rhythm disturbances. Beyond early decontamination, care is supportive.
Permethrins in Cats: Cats are sensitive to certain topical flea products labeled for dogs, particularly those containing the synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. After mistakenly applied to a cat rather than a dog, neurological excitement and tremors develop, often progressing to seizures requiring supportive care in the hospital and removal of the product from the coat and skin.
Grapes and Raisins: Dogs are sensitive to grapes ingested in all their forms, including dried as raisins. The exact toxic element remains unknown but ingestion can result in serious kidney injury and can cause failure of kidney function demanding aggressive kidney supportive measures.
Tremorgenic Mycotoxins: Molds/fungi that grow in garbage, compost and weathering fruit on the ground (particularly walnuts in our area) can produce metabolites that, when ingested, cause muscle tremors, seizures and elevated temperature that appear similar to the spasms caused by snail bait or strychnine poisoning. Treatment often requires supportive hospital care for one to three days.
Dr. Dana is the medical director at the Pet Emergency & Specialty Center of Marin.
Tails of Marin appears every Saturday in the Home & Garden section of the Marin Independent Journal
