If you are a pet parent, you know that the canines and felines you share your home with are like children who never grow up. They are always up to some mischief behind your back, and keeping an eye on them all the time is extremely important to save heartache for both of you. Like toddlers, pets are inquisitive and fascinated with everything they find. They can scrutinize and gobble up random things from around the house, and it could be dangerous for them. This could include anything from tiny parts of toys, glow sticks, metallic beads, batteries, human medications, rodenticides, flowers, seeds, berries, leavesessential oils, household cleaners, alcohol, and the list goes on endlessly. In case you suspect your pets have ingested any of these or other poisonous substances, seek emergency veterinary assistance for them. So, read through these symptoms of pet toxicity so you can identify them immediately when something untoward happens.
Gastrointestinal System
Nausea, retching, and/or regurgitation, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and dehydration are some symptoms of gastrointestinal complications. The first symptom of poisoning in pets like cats and dogs could be vomiting. Their body might naturally, as a defense mechanism, try to eliminate the foreign things from their stomach.
This can happen instantly after the ingestion of the substance or many hours after too. Other related symptoms you can observe in your pets when poisoned by ibuprofen, anti-inflammatory medications, xylitol, asparagus, lilies, oleander, or mushrooms are sluggishness or disinterest in any activity, sunken eyes, palpitation, shivering, dribbling or frothing at the mouth, difficulty swallowing, wet and sticky mouth, and poor skin turgor.
Nervous System
Sudden paralysis or seizures are symptoms that show your pet’s nervous system is affected. Inability to move their tongue, not being able to blink their eyes, immobilization of the face and/or limbs, inability to urinate, and tilting of the head to one side are other signs of poisoning by alcohol, antidepressants, and drain cleaners.
Labored Breathing
Panting is normal when your dog is excited or feeling hot. But when your pet’s breathing is labored, loud, and heavy, and their nostrils are flared, it could mean the heart is functioning slower than normal. The buildup of fluid in the lungs can lead to this. These could be symptoms of poisoning by raisins, chocolates, or slug pellets.
Shaking
Dogs shiver and shake when they are feeling cold, or when they are wet or excited. Sometimes, when there are kidney or thyroid problems or issues with the liver, shaking and tremors happen. But when severe and continuous shaking becomes a seizure, then it requires medical attention. Poisoning by bleach, raisins and grapes, prescription amphetamines, or insecticides can cause these symptoms.
Internal Bleeding
Some chemicals are used as blood thinners to prevent blood clots from happening. However, if your pets ingest rat poison, then the same active ingredient, brodifacoum, used as a blood thinner medication in humans can cause severe internal bleeding and may result in death in some cases.
When you notice a stiff neck, loss of vision, slurred speech, lightheadedness, blood in the stools or urine, these could be the result of internal bleeding caused by toxins in rat poison.
Other symptoms that are related to pet toxicity include an abnormal heartbeat, bleeding through the nose, excessive bruising, kidney failure, and oral irritation.
