Telltale Signs of Food Poisoning in Dogs
Hundreds of dogs die from food poisoning every year. Dogs would not pass up the chance to roam. The nose is a very important asset of a dog. Because of their huge appetites, dogs would eat just about anything. The smell of rotting food in trash bins and garbage heaps would be too tempting for a dog to resist. As such, dogs would always suffer from food poisoning.
The dog’s inclination to eat anything is not the only reason why the pet would suffer from food poisoning. A pampered dog that is kept indoors by loving owners can get poisoned by commercially prepared food. The dog’s food poisoning can be caused by commercial dog food. The owner may be unaware that every scoop of the contaminated commercial dog food is killing the dog slowly.
As with any health concern, early detection and treatment would give the pet greater chance of recovery. To safeguard the health of the pet, a dog owner has to have an idea how a dog suffering from food poisoning would react. Dogs have an amazing defense mechanism against poisoning. Dogs would simply eat grass to be able to remove anything that was not accepted by the stomach. Induced vomiting may not effectively resolve the poisoning.
Dogs that are allowed to wander have all the opportunities to eat rotten food. A new diet can have the same effect too. A dog suffering from food poisoning would vomit. Diarrhea is another. Vomiting and diarrhea is the dog’s system’s way of removing the toxic substances. Excessive drooling and sluggishness are other signs of food poisoning. Dogs that have ingested anything toxic would have no interest in food. Poisonous substances that remained in the dog’s body for several days would dangerously affect its systems and the condition can be manifested by yellowish tint in the eyes and orange colored urine. A severely affected dog would have blackened stool, vomit blood and have seizures. Dogs severely affected by the toxic substance would not eat. Unaware that the commercial food is causing the poisoning, the owner may mask the food with gravy or with meat to entice the dog to eat.
Fasting the dog for 24 hours is the most common measure done on dogs that are vomiting and having diarrhea due to the ingestion of contaminated food. Give the dog bland foods like boiled rice and chicken after the fasting period. If this fasting did not resolve the dog’s vomiting and diarrhea and if the condition of the pet worsened, it is imperative to head to a veterinary facility so that the dog can receive appropriate medical treatment.
More signs of dog food poisoning at Sarah’s Dogs. Besides this you can also read about dog grooming.