For the second year in a row, a large number of intentional dog poisonings have been recorded throughout Croatia. Unfortunately, poisonings are successful and will continue to be successful until the responsible services find a way to catch the perpetrators.
For a dog, poisoning often has a fatal outcome and great pain that precedes it. When a dog eats poison, it is difficult to avoid such consequences.
I don't want to write about what to do when a dog eats poison, because I don't want to deal with the consequences. I want to remove any possibility of this happening in general. I write about how to avoid and reduce the risk of poisoning as a primary concern.
Only in an ideal imagined world will a dog not eat something that smells good to him. In that same world we are aware of his every activity and have complete control over him. Also, in that same world, we have super vision with which we scan the area we are heading towards and see if suspicious content is hiding somewhere.
When we accept reality, we will admit that we cannot be 100% sure that our dog will not eat something and that we have no 100% control over him or the area in which we walk.
It is simply necessary to accept the possibility of this happening to our dog and it is important that we take responsibility for such a potential situation. It is important that we act preventively as much as possible.
My solution to this challenge is simple. Put a muzzle on your dog that prevents him from eating any food during the walk. It does not matter which muzzle you choose, because some muzzles prevent the dog from sweating through the tongue and drinking water. Some leak content and give a false sense of security.
My recommendation for the type of muzzle you should choose for your dog is that it should be spacious enough around the muzzle so that it can breathe normally. The muzzle should be comfortable to wear so as not to cause pain, but secure enough that the dog cannot take it off. The front part of the muzzle, the part in front of the dog's mouth, should be completely closed or have two layers of protection. It can be metal, plastic or leather.
These are examples:
For latticed muzzles, it is preferable that they are longer than the muzzle. When the dog pushes its muzzle into the floor, the muzzle is pushed up and stops in the area below the dog's eyes. In that case, it is good that there is enough space from the nose to the grate, which prevents the tongue from passing through the grate to the contents on the ground.
Obstacles and prejudices
Dog
It is to be expected that the dog will express his dissatisfaction with the new piece of equipment he has to use, but in time he will get used to the muzzle as he got used to the collar, harness, clothes or leash. Be patient, consistent and disciplined when working on the muzzle with your dog. It's an exercise just like any other command you've already taught your dog. Do not think that you are punishing him, because you are not doing him any harm, the dog simply needs to get used to it. When he realizes he has no choice, he will quickly accept it.
People
During one walk when I put a muzzle on my Vigo, a lady stopped and complimented me on putting a muzzle on the dog to protect people from being bitten. I sadly replied that Vigo doesn't bite people and that he wears a muzzle to actually protect himself from people, not the other way around.
Don't worry about "what others will think your dog is aggressive".
Don't bother with the criticism of those who have dogs and justify their inaction by criticizing you.
If they were to imagine, for example, that you were riding a motorcycle, they would be aware of the possibility of falling off it and breaking your head. That's why you wear a helmet. That's why you think about your dog's safety first, and only then about everything else.
Backup plan
Always take a box of activated charcoal tablets with you for a walk. It can be bought in every pharmacy and is not expensive. Your dog might not need it, but you might save another dog.
Activated charcoal only helps while the substances are still in the digestive system of the stomach and intestines, which is usually within the first hour after consuming the poison.. That is why it is important to apply it immediately, because it binds most of the toxic substances. Considering that it is not harmful in any quantity, my recommendation is to give the dog the whole box (usually about 30 tablets) without thinking if there is even the slightest doubt that the contents the dog ate could be poison. So if you're not sure, give him activated charcoal right away. Don't wait to see if the dog has a reaction.
An example of a tablet application
In my practice, the easiest way is to gently push the tablet deep into the throat behind the molars with the thumb. In this way, the dog does not have to have its mouth wide open, it is faster and safer that the dog will not spit out the tablet.
Collect the suspicious contents in something, be careful not to touch it directly with your fingers. Use a poop bag, tissue, cigarette case, eyeglass case, anything that can be used for safe transfer and get to the vet immediately.
Note that the poison does not necessarily have to be powdered!
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Author: Morana Barbara Lučić
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