Keep Your Puppies Safe!

The National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) provides a 24-hour emergency hotline that every dog owner should keep in plain sight. The hotline numbers are (800) 548-2423 and (900) 680-0000. The 800 number requires a credit card and charges a flat $30. The 900 number is $2.95 per minute for a maximum of $30. Know in advance the phone number and address of a 24-hour emergency vet in your area.

Contents

• Potential poisons around the home
• Poisonous household items
• Poisonous Plants
• Safe Plans

Potential poisons around the home

Potential poisons around the home: chocolate, tea, coffee, cola. Chocolate contains a chemical, theobromine, which is poisonous to all dogs. Different dogs react differently to it. Theobromine can trigger epileptic seizures, fatal cardiac irregularity, can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause internal bleeding which can kill the dog within a day or so. Theobromine is also present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate. Milk chocolate has 44-66 mg/oz; dark chocolate 450 mg/oz.; and baking /bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies from 150-600 mg/oz. Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14-20 hours. It goes back into the bloodstream through the stomach lining and takes a long time for the liver to filter out. If your dog has eaten chocolate, contact your vet immediately. Many dogs react adversely to the chemicals in tea, coffee and cola. The best defense is prevention. Keep all such products where your dog can't get at them.

• Onions, especially raw onions, should be avoided as they can trigger fatal hemolytic anemia in dogs.
• Potato poisonings have occurred both in dogs and people from the solanum alkaloids found in green sprouts and green potato skins which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or after harvest. Cooked, mashed potatoes are fine to eat, but keep the raw ones away from your dog.
• Turkey skin has been linked to acute pancreatitis in dogs and must be avoided because of its high fat content. Never feed your dog a high fat content meat unless you defat it first (see Feeding).
• Nuts: Walnuts are poisonous to dogs and should be avoided. Nuts are not good for dogs in general, since their high phosphorous content may lead to bladder stones.
• Antifreeze Poisoning: Each year thousands of pets die from exposure to ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in auto antifreeze. The sweet taste lures them in and just a lick or two can cause death. Early treatment is critical to try and prevent fatal kidney failure. Antifreeze is highly toxic. Be sure to keep your pets away from it. Anytime a dog or cat is left in a garage, the potential for death by antifreeze poisoning is present. If you see a greenish liquid in your garage or on the street, keep your pet away and clean it up thoroughly.

POISONOUS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

POISONOUS PLANTS

Salukis like to graze but sometimes they choose to graze on plants that are toxic to them. Some plants hide deadly poisons in their leaves, seeds, flowers or berries. These poisons can affect the gastrointestinal system, cardiovascular system or nervous system and may cause death. It is important to know what plants are in your home and yard and what symptoms poisonous plants can cause. Plants containing saps or resins can irritate a pet's mouth, pharynx or esophagus, causing excessive salivation, swelling, vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, labored breathing, collapse, skin rashes or itching. Some plants can cause blood abnormalities, such as anemia, jaundice, urinary tract disorders or kidney failure. Signs to look for are pale gums, yellow eye whites or bloody urine. Other signs of poisoning include depression, aberrant behavior or shaking. If your pet shows any of these symptoms, take note of the plants it may have had access to and call poison control or your vet immediately. It would be impossible to list all the plants that may be dangerous to pets, but the following list gives some common plants that are considered poisonous. There is also a list of safe plants.

(Check the following list and keep them away from your Saluki (AND Shiba).)

SAFE PLANTS

Permission to reprint is allowed as long as the following is included....

Copyrighted Cherie Fehrman, 1996. All rights Reserved. Saluki Protection Association Inc.

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Last modified: 01 January 2009
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