Pet first aid and CPR- Education Cont’d (Part 3)

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If your dog has ever swallowed something toxic, you know the sense of panic and helplessness you feel wondering if your dog will suddenly drop dead.  That is how I felt last year when I left the room for a split second and my 1 year old dog inhaled a pizza sized sweet bread dessert and a side of chocolate dipping sauce.   I knew chocolate was toxic, but I didn’t know how toxic, and I didn’t know what to do about it.  I used this technique to induce vomiting; it worked for me and saved my dog’s life. 

Inducing Vomiting

If you know your dog just ate something poisonous or toxic, like chocolate or anti-freeze, within the last 20 minutes, you can induce vomiting before any real damage is done.

What you need:

·         3% hydrogen peroxide (You can use salt, but 3% hydrogen peroxide will work faster.)

·         Needle-less syringe (eye dropper or turkey baster will also work, although none are absolutely necessary but they will make the task easier)

Dosage: 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide for every 15 lbs of the dog’s body weight. (example: 30 lbs = 2 tablespoons)

Instructions:

·         Fill the syringe with the appropriate amount of hydrogen peroxide.

·         Open your dog’s mouth or slide in between the cheeks and gum line, to the back of the jaw. 

·         Slowly inject the hydrogen peroxide down the back of the throat. 

·         Give it about 3 - 5 minutes. If your dog doesn’t vomit within 5 minutes, you can repeat the process. 

**If your dog swallowed a dangerous object such as glass or splintered wood, you DO NOT want to induce vomiting. 

After induced vomiting, you may want to give your dog activated charcoal (burnt toast will also work) to absorb any leftover toxics that may have made it past the stomach.      

See a veterinarian as soon as possible if:

·         Your dog swallowed a dangerous object (large or sharp objects that may not be passable or may cause internal damage)

·         You can’t get your dog to throw up

·         Your dog ate something poisonous over 30 minutes ago

·         Your dog is acting disoriented or lethargic

A good rule of thumb to determine if your dog ate a potentially fatal dosage of chocolate:

Milk Chocolate: 1 oz of milk chocolate for every 1 lb of body weight can be fatal

Dark Chocolate: ½ oz of dark chocolate for every 1 lb of body weight can be fatal

Baking Chocolate: ¼ oz of baking chocolate for every 1 lb of body weight can be fatal

Below is one of the better videos on YouTube that give you a little insight on inducing vomiting.