Pets are naturally curious and playful, which is a great thing when you are playing games together or working on training. However, this inquisitive nature can also get them in trouble. Exposure to toxins and poisons is one of the primary reasons why pets are rushed to our Pet Emergency Center in Missoula. Reading through this guide can help you know which toxins to keep away from your pet and what to do if you suspect that they ingested poison despite your best efforts.
What Are Common Toxins That Lead to Emergency Vet Care?
Pet-proofing is a lot like childproofing, which means that you’ll want to keep your medications stored in hard-to-open containers that are out of your pet’s reach. You’ll also want to keep cleaning solutions, pesticides, and other chemicals away from your dog or cat. Many common foods are toxic to dogs. Grapes, chocolate, and cherries are a few foods that animals sometimes eat after they get dropped on the floor. Check out this helpful searchable database for pet poisons from our friends at Pet Poison Helpline: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/
What Are the Signs of Pet Poisoning?
Vomiting and diarrhea are two of the most common symptoms of exposure to toxins or poisons in pets. Your pet might also experience excessive drooling or seem extremely lethargic. Seizures and collapsing can occur if the poison begins affecting your pet’s organs. If your pet exhibits any unusual symptoms, then it is always a good idea to bring them to the emergency animal hospital since they may have ingested something without your knowledge.
How is Poisoning Treated?
In some cases, you might be lucky enough to find evidence of what your pet ate, such as an empty candy bar wrapper or spilled chemicals. If so, then let us know because this can affect how we provide care. In some cases, we may decide to induce vomiting to remove toxic substances from your pet’s stomach, but this might not be safe with certain chemicals. We also use medications, antidotes, activated charcoal, and supportive care to stabilize pets after a toxin ingestion.
Contact Our Emergency Animal Hospital in Missoula
All it takes is a single dropped pill or piece of food to make a pet sick. Once your pet ingests a toxin or poisonous substance, its life may be in danger. Pet Emergency Center in Missoula is equipped to save your pet’s life. Call us today at (406) 829-9300 for more information if you suspect that your pet has been poisoned.
Pet Emergency Center is located in Missoula , MT, on the corner of North Ave. and Reserve St. We're two blocks north of the Rosauers grocery store and directly across from CS Porter Middle School.
