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House-proofing for Pets: How I Did Not Quite Kill
my Dogs...
>>
>> >I apologize if you have already seen this on the other lists I have
>> >posted this to, but I feel quite strongly that I need to pass my
>>experience on to as wide an audience as possible...
>> >
>> >Folks, I know we all try our best to cover all bases, but sometimes
>>things that seem perfectly obvious in hindsight come out of nowhere to
>>bite us in the butt. If the past 60 hours have taught me anything it
>>is that there is no such thing as being too careful.
>> >
>> >It has been very, very hot here in Virginia and the dogs haven't
gotten
>>their usual exercise which has led to bored dogs with lots of energy
>>and few outlets. I have been getting up at dawn to run their little
>>heinies off before the heat of the day, but even that wasn't enough for
Soup,
>>who is *very* bright, fit, and energetic. He is a kleptomaniac of epic
>>proportions at the best of times. Early Sunday morning he stole my purse
from
the top of a 5' bookcase and snuck it out the dogdoor. This would have
>>merely been a major irritation (the wallet, the cash, the credit card,
the
>>driver's license, the $450 pair of glasses) but also in the purse was
a major
>>timebomb.
>> >
>> >All human and canine medicines, etc., live on a high shelf in a
closet
>> >in my bathroom, and the door is kept shut to the bathroom at all
times.
>> Cleaning materials are kept safe from curious dog jaws. I make a real
>>effort to keep my guys safe.
>> >
>> >The danger I overlooked was the bottle of 25 Advils I keep in my
purse
>> >for those times when my aging body tells me it needs a little
>>comfort...
>> >
>> >3 to 6 200 mg tablets of ibuprofen (the generic name of Advil) is
>> >enough to give a dog bleeding ulcers. More than that can cause
>>permanent kidney and liver damage, and even kill. With 25 tablets we
>>are talking *well* into the lethal dose for a dog the size of a Whippet.
>>
>> >That was mistake #1. Mistake # 2 was even though I always keep a
>> >bottle of peroxide on hand to make a dog vomit if I have to, the
bottle
>>was too old and had lost its fizz. Flat peroxide does NOT cause
>>vomiting. Trust me on this.
>> >
>> >Some things I did do right. I didn't listen to the receptionist
at the
>> >nearer emergency clinic (only 45 miles away vs 70) who said "Feed
him a
>> >couple of slices of bread and keep an eye on him". I *did*
call the
>> >Animal Poison Control Hotline. I did get Soup and Bean into the
>>Richmond emergency clinic, and Goose into my regular vet.
>> >
>> >Soup and Goose are fine and will be released from care after 72
hours
>> >on IV fluids and various meds. They are looking at bland food and
oral
>>acid blockers for a week or so, and a couple of more blood tests to
>>monitor their recovery. Bean was not so lucky, and it is too early to
>>tell if she will have permanent kidney and liver damage. She will be
on
fluids until she gets better or there is no more improvement. Hopefully she
>>will fully recover,but even now she should have decent quality of life
if
>>we are careful about her diet and maintenance...
>> >
>> >So, *please* go through your purses/tack bags/whatever -- anywhere
you
>> >might have medicine that could injure your dogs and make sure it
is
>>removed or put into a truly dog-proof container (i.e., NOT plastic...).
>> >
>> >Go through your emergency kit and make sure your hydrogen peroxide
is
>> >fresh and bubbly and make sure it is replaced often. A couple of
>>dollars is a cheap price to pay to avoid a lot of grief.
>> >
>> >Keep the Animal Poison Control Hotline number available where you
can
>> >find it even in a dead panic. It costs $45 to consult them but is
>>worth every penny. They will know whether you have nothing to worry about
>>or just minutes to get to a vet. The number is 1-888-426-4435. This is
the
>>number for the USA. If you aren't in the US, find out if there is a
>>hotline available to >you and write the number in a prominent place.
>> >
>> >It is perhaps odd to feel lucky after spending close to $2,000 with
no
>> >end yet in sight, but all I can think is I *am* lucky. Lucky that
>>things ended up no worse, that 2 of the 3 dogs affected seem to have
>>dodged the bullet,that Bean may never get back to normal, but should
be OK.
>>Lucky that even though it was NOT what I had planned to spend all this
money
on I had it available when I needed it. Soup is lucky, too, because I was
>>too busy being worried to get mad...
>> >
>> >Annie Fitt <<mailto:ragtaghorde@cs.com>ragtaghorde@cs.com>
>> >& the Ragtag Horde ~ Whippets, of course!
>> >
>> >PS: Permission to repost is given as long as my name and address
stay
>> >with it. In fact, the more places it is posted the more likely it
is
>>that someone else and their dogs will avoid going through the same kind
>>of experience!