Toxins
There are many things that can be toxic to your dog, and a few here on Maui that are more common than others. We’ll start with the common Maui ones, and leave you with a link at the end for a list of other things that may be toxic to your pets.
TOADS
Here on Maui, this is a common creature. His scientific name is Bufo marinus, or more commonly, cane toad. Unfortunately, it can be quite toxic to pets. If your pet were to lick one of these, the toxic secretions on the toad’s skin can cause mild hallucinations, lethargy, excessive drooling, vomiting, seizures, and in extreme cases, death.
It is best to try to keep your pet from licking or eating one of these guys, but if you know your pet did get into trouble with one, the best thing to do is rinse out his mouth with water and call your veterinarian immediately.
RAT POISON AND OTHER PESTICIDES
Placing rat, ant, and snail poisons, or any other pesticides in or around your home can be very dangerous to your pets.
Most of today’s rodenticides work by interrupting the body’s blood clotting systems, resulting in fatal bleeding. Even though they are called “rodent”-icides, they will kill any mammal that ingests them.
They can be fatal in extremely small amounts and their effect can last for thirty days and beyond.Treatment starts with removing the poison by inducing vomiting if it was ingested recently. While this can be a good test for whether poison was actually eaten, it is not foolproof. Poison eaten several hours before emesis (vomiting) therapy may have moved too far into the digestive tract to be vomited up. Further, because these poisons are effective in such small amounts, if a pet or person vomits some up we still don’t know whether he vomited all of the poison, and enough might be left behind that it could still be fatal. So, again, the best thing to do if you even suspect your pet has been exposed to these poisons is to call your veterinarian immediately!
MACADAMIA NUTS
Macadamia nuts are another common island toxin for pets. Their high phosphorus content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. If you suspect your pet has ingested macadamia nuts, please contact your veterinarian right away.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE COMMON TOXINS TO PETS
