I learned a few days ago that in the Dominican Republic dogs are regularly poisoned to control their number. (My fiancee Rosa said that Salud Publica (Public Health) routinely poisoned dogs in the past, and probably still does.) I'm sure most foreigners here know that, but does everyone have a life saving poison kit at hand?? Some of the poisons kill in as little as 30 minutes, which makes having the poison close by a necessity. We bought one for a reasonable price from the vet DR Bob near Sosua, although you can get one I'm sure from any vet.
The kit, at least the one from DR Bob, treats a few different poisons including that of the Cane Toad, which emits a strong toxin. There is a 2 page sheet that accompanies the poison kit. It explains the symptoms of different types of poisons. Make sure to take that along.
If you pick up a poison kit at another vet they may not have the write-up DR Bob has, so here it is in summary:
Organophosphates: Pet will show trembling, vomiting, diarrhea, foaming at the mouth and muscle spasms. A strong poison, your pet can die in 30 minutes.
Warfarin: A slow poison, can take days to kill your pet. Stops blood from coagulating. Pet will get progressively more tired, very thirsty, cold ears, fast heartbeat and may bleed from the gums, urinate blood, or have blood on the skin.
Cane Toad: Merely touching this ugly toad will poison your dog. Your pets body temp can rise to 106 and his brain will start to die. Heart rate will go as high as 220 beats, your pet will get very quiet and usually will hide in a corner. There is not much time with this toxin. In addition to giving the poison kit, bathe your dog to cool him, but STOP bathing when breathing again becomes normal and not labored.
If your dog has not been poisoned and you use the kit it will do no harm. Remember also to keep several different emergency numbers of vets on your fridge. ----Please add with your suggestions to the post!!
The kit, at least the one from DR Bob, treats a few different poisons including that of the Cane Toad, which emits a strong toxin. There is a 2 page sheet that accompanies the poison kit. It explains the symptoms of different types of poisons. Make sure to take that along.
If you pick up a poison kit at another vet they may not have the write-up DR Bob has, so here it is in summary:
Organophosphates: Pet will show trembling, vomiting, diarrhea, foaming at the mouth and muscle spasms. A strong poison, your pet can die in 30 minutes.
Warfarin: A slow poison, can take days to kill your pet. Stops blood from coagulating. Pet will get progressively more tired, very thirsty, cold ears, fast heartbeat and may bleed from the gums, urinate blood, or have blood on the skin.
Cane Toad: Merely touching this ugly toad will poison your dog. Your pets body temp can rise to 106 and his brain will start to die. Heart rate will go as high as 220 beats, your pet will get very quiet and usually will hide in a corner. There is not much time with this toxin. In addition to giving the poison kit, bathe your dog to cool him, but STOP bathing when breathing again becomes normal and not labored.
If your dog has not been poisoned and you use the kit it will do no harm. Remember also to keep several different emergency numbers of vets on your fridge. ----Please add with your suggestions to the post!!