How to recognize and avoid poisonous bait for dogs

Key Takeaways

• **Recognize poisoned bait: **Prepared baits often contain razor blades, nails or poisons such as rat poison and antifreeze.

• **Identify danger spots: **Poison baits are often placed in parks, woods and gardens by dog haters.

• **Prevention: **Don't let your dog eat anything from the floor and always keep an eye on him.

• **Acute case measures: **Separate your dog from the bait immediately and contact the vet straight away.

• **Training: **Practice commands such as "out" and "give" to protect your dog.

  Table of contents

  **

Again and again we hear about poison attacks on dogs in the neighborhood. That's why it's so important that you recognize poison baits and know the right treatment method in case of emergency.

What is poison bait anyway?

Poison bait is anything that could cause harm to your dog's health. The imagination of the wrongdoers is very large! Prepared baits often contain the following things:

• Razor blades
• Nails
• Slug pellets
• Rat poison
• Broken glass
• Chemicals (antifreeze)
• Chocolate

As a carrier for bait are often used:

• Black pudding
• Meatballs
• Meat sausage
• Sausages
• Or similar for the dog tasty

As soon as you leave the house with your pet, there are a number of poisoning hazards to be aware of. Poison bait can be laid out in a targeted manner. In addition to various poisons, broken glass, nails, fishing hooks and even razor blades are also used! There are no limits to the imagination of animal haters.

Therefore, do not let your faithful companion eat anything outside and keep a close eye on him.

Hunters also use poison baits. Not to fight dogs, of course, but animals such as foxes, martens and crows. Poisoned eggs are often used for this purpose. This generally involves injecting poison into chicken eggs. The injection site is then sealed with silicone, for example, and placed in specific places.

Although this method is not allowed nowadays, you should still be careful if you happen to find eggs in the forest. In particular, you should pay attention if you are abroad with your protégé.

Another danger are animals that have already died due to poisoning. This usually affects mice, rats, birds and other animals. Poisonous plants, pesticides and unknown waste can also be dangerous.

Dangers in your own home

"Unintentional poison bait" can also lurk in your own home. Therefore, make sure that the following items or food are not within reach of your faithful companion:

• Medication, drugs, alcohol, tobacco
• Toxic foods like chocolate, coffee beans, macadamia nuts etc.
• Cleaning agents (detergents, soaps, etc.)
• Poisonous plants
• Protective agents and fertilizers for plants
• Antifreeze (it tastes sweet! A little may drip onto the floor when filling the car's radiator or water tank. The active ingredient glysantin contained in it can cause serious kidney damage).

On the property - "evil neighbor".

Targeted poison bait can also be found on home soil. This is often not uncommon when it is known that dog haters live in the immediate neighborhood. Among other things are used for this purpose:

• Poisoned treats
• Poison baits with rat poison, pesticides, slug pellets laid or deliberately thrown down.
• Fertilizer and poisonous plants

IMPORTANT: Often these are also stretched with wet food or meatballs and deliberately put on the property. You can find them at the garden fence, under bushes, at roadsides. Basically everywhere, where we humans do not necessarily look, but our sniffer nose can reach perfectly.

Dangers of poisons or poison attacks are everywhere. With our lovely dogs, this can happen in a flash. They swallow something before you can even react. That's why you should always keep an eye on him, be there all the time.

Don't let his lead go out too far so that, in extreme cases, you can pull him back towards you if he doesn't listen to your command. Particularly risky places are bushes, roadsides, parks, near benches and garbage cans.

Also check whether dog haters live in the neighborhood. Are there any warnings from other dog owners or has anything been reported in the media?

2. identify poison bait

Anything edible that can be found during a walk is basically suspect. Therefore, for safety reasons, do not downplay anything. The same goes for dog toys. These things may have been tipped with needles, razor blades or poison.

If it is foreign, it is best to give it a wide berth. If, on closer inspection, you also see colored grains or something shiny in meatballs or similar, the case is 100 % clear.

3. recognize suspicious behavior of the dog

No one knows your pet as well as you do. You can therefore recognize abnormal behavior immediately. However, if your hairy friend has not been at your side for long, learn to "read" him.

When running free, you can see from a distance if your four-legged friend has found something special. Because dogs have learned very early that they can eat relatively everything.

If they are not being watched, it is important not to let him out of your sight. He should therefore also obey your commands from a distance.

4. deal with poison bait warnings correctly

If poison bait has been found on your walking route or acute threats have been advertised, then your furry friend's life must be protected with appropriate measures.

It may well be that these are extremely unpleasant for you and him, but they are unavoidable.

• If you know that poison bait has been placed on your route, try to avoid that area (media news, warnings from other dog owners).
• If this is not possible, you must have your charge under control at all times (no free running).
• If your quadruped has a tendency to immediately take everything found into its mouth and possibly even swallow it, a muzzle is also helpful until the danger is revoked.
• Commands like "heel" should work perfectly - in special cases it is also an advantage if the command "behind" is known. In this case, your dog runs in a line behind you.

5. train the dog

At certain stages of your dog's life, especially in puppyhood, he will want to put everything in his mouth that he can get in front of his muzzle. Partially this can also occur later. This applies to free running, but also on the leash.

Chewing gum, cigarette butts, paper scraps or small stones. It is difficult to check what he eats or spits out.

Therefore, practise the commands "Give" and "Off" so that they always work at all times. You can teach him this in exchange for a treat. Ideally with an intermediate command such as "sit".

Tip: If your dog compulsively has to ingest everything he finds, this may also be related to a deficiency. There are surprising results with yeast tablets. If necessary, you should also discuss this with your veterinarian.

• Separate your dog from the poison bait immediately
• Do not make him vomit under any circumstances! (Caustic poisons damage the throat and neck area! Sharp objects can also cause even worse injuries).
• Immediately contact the veterinarian and report your suspicions to him - also inform him of any symptoms that occur.
• Make a note of what your dog ate and the amount of it
• Secure a sample of the alleged bait (protect yourself and wear gloves)
• If present, secure excreta (feces, vomit, etc.)
• Continue to keep an eye on your dog and observe his behavior
• Thereupon, together with the samples immediately to the vet

In addition to the above precautions and information, there are other measures that can be taken. These are education for your four-legged friend and yourself.

During this training, you get to know your darling even better and he gets to know you. You prepare yourselves for the emergency and deepen your friendship. In such training you will learn the following:

• Getting your dog's attention to focus on you - with or without commands

• Your dog learns to ignore perceived food in public

• He also no longer eats anything from the ground

• You gain remote control and your dog remote obedience

• Also your dog learns not to eat from strangers

• And if something foreign is picked up, it will return it to you on command.

It is not exactly documented where most poisoned baits are scattered. However, dog haters like to use public places.

This applies to market squares, parks, forests, bushes, lakes or meadows with tall grass. The carriers, usually tasty morsels of meat, are intended to deceive both dog and owner. You can use the internet to find out if and when poison bait has been found in your area.

**IMPORTANT:**If you find a poisoned bait, inform the police immediately. They must collect it and search the area. You can also take the bait yourself, but always wear gloves to protect yourself from contact poison!

Laying out poisoned bait is a criminal offense and will be prosecuted. The penalty for this is a prison sentence of up to 3 years or a fine. The danger of your pet falling victim to poison lurks everywhere. Therefore, you should always keep your eyes and ears open and not trivialize anything!

The best precaution is to condition your pet. He should listen to you, not pick up anything from strangers or the ground. If he does have something in his mouth, he must put it down on command. This training is not very easy!

**From an animal psychological point of view, finding food is a process that your dog perceives as a reward. But once the training has been successfully completed, it is the best protection for both man and animal.Sould it happen, do not lose time and immediately go to the vet.