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Monday, November 17, 2014

Attempted Assassination - Don't Eat That!

The Targets: Dante - Amstaff/Boxer Mix, age 1, mommy's new "baby".
                       Tex-Anna - Border Collie, senior, the strange creature who just get's in the way.

The Mission: Attempt to knock off the dogs, in order that we may become the sole rulers of the household receiving all of mommy and daddy's loving attention.

The Method: Heartworm Medication, ALL OF IT.

Mission Success:  FAILURE. 

Well, there you have it. My cat's tried to kill my dogs. Here is the assassination team - 

Belle is on the Left, Merlot is on the Right.
We're pretty sure that Belle was the leader on this particular occasion because she likes to jump up onto high places. She's even been so silly as to manage to jump up on the fridge and then jump down behind it only to realize that she was stuck! Silly cat cried until I figured out where she was and how to get her out!

So what happened you may be asking? 

We hadn't had Dante for very long, in fact I had taken him into the vet's office for his shots because he didn't have any records and after his exam and vaccinations the vet gave me some heartworm medication to give to both Dante and Tex-Anna (our former foster, her story HERE) however since Dante had just received a couple vaccinations the vet told me to wait a couple days before giving him the heartworm med's so that we wouldn't overwhelm his system. I then placed both boxes (a 6 month supply for each dog) up onto a high shelf where the dogs couldn't get it, but where it would be a visible reminder to me so that I'd remember to give it to them.

The next day I came home to discover a mess of cardboard and plastic along with two sheepish dogs who knew they were in trouble.

I managed to find a sliver of cardboard with the name on it and then panicked! My dogs had eaten a years worth of medicine!

Step 1. Identify what was eaten.

Step 2. Call your Veterinarian if you think your dog has eaten poison, the Emergency Vet and the Poison Control Hotline are also good numbers to call.

Photo Attribution: Pet Poisioning Guide Click the picture for the link & more great info!
I immediately dialed up the Emergency Vet because it was after hours for my personal veterinarian, after explaining what had been eaten, and not knowing how it had been split between the two dogs they told me to come in immediately.

After running some numbers the Vet on duty informed me that we should go by the "worst case scenario". 
What she meant was this: 
  • If Dante had eaten the whole years worth all to himself, based on his age, weight, and good health he might be sick but he would not suffer any serious consequences.
  • If Tex-Anna had eaten all of it, based on her age (senior), weight, and health, she had just consumed a lethal dose.
The bill? Ya, I don't even want to talk about it. An unhappy amount of money later they had pumped Tex-Anna's stomach up with charcoal and sent her home for observation.
On a good note she recovered just fine!

Look a year later, still happy and healthy!
I also learned my lesson, all medications should be kept out of reach of pets. For some people this means child proof locks on cabinet doors! 

With the Holiday Season Coming Up It's Important To Know of Potential Dangers.

A great source that I would encourage you all to check out is: 


Click the picture for the link.
Having a puppy that has proven she likes to chew things, I'm very careful about picking up and keeping toxic and potentially harmful items out of doggy reach. However this post reminded me that with winter coming and the start of our wood pellet stove I have a fire starter gel that I shouldn't keep on the floor even if it is convenient.

Granted she doesn't normally go for plastic or bottles (we leave water bottles out), is it really worth the risk and potentially lethal outcome? Nope!

Holiday Dangers

On top of the new array of winter hazards like antifreeze, which can be deadly, fire starters, chemical sidewalk de-icers, which burn paws and are also toxic if ingested, we also have holidays and all the food and decorations that go with them. 

SlimDoggy wrote a great post - Can I Give My Dog Turkey about Holiday foods and overfeeding.

Some more great guidelines regarding food can also be found on the "Eat This, Not That" webpage.



Foods that are high in fat, sugar, butter, or seasoning should be avoided as they can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.


Wholesome foods however are safe for your pup to eat.
Please be careful what you choose to decorate with this holiday season, string and tinsel which kitties love can get tangled in their intestines resulting in death or a nasty vet bill - I have a friend who's cat ate a whole kite string!! She survived close to $5000 later.

Holly, Mistletoe, Christmas Tree ornaments, strings of lights, winter compost, alcohol, candy, are just a few of the many more hazards around during holiday's. 
Remember keep it away from your fur baby and then their is more for you!

For More Detailed Information Or For Some Fun Recipes Check Out:

A Feast Fit For Fido! - Healthy Holiday Pet Recipes for Dogs & Cats


mondaymischief

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2 comments:

  1. Perhaps you should lick the kitties behind child-proof locks. :)

    Honey has not been a chewer since her puppy days. And she never climbs up on things. Which means I'm always surprised when I bring a foster pup into the house with all kinds of habits I'm unused to.

    So glad your pups did okay (even if your wallet didn't).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oops, that should be "lock" the kitties, not "lick" the kitties. :)

    ReplyDelete

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