What you should know about charcoal tablets for dogs
- Veterinarian Mag.med.vet. Emin Jasarevic
- Updated: 24 January, 2023
You want to know what charcoal tablets are important for in dogs? What effects they have and how you should properly dose the charcoal tablets? We will show you that and more in this article. So be curious!
The danger for a Poisoning of your dog lurks everywhere. Triggered by a Poison attack of a dog hater or by ingesting toxic or incompatible foods. . poisonous plants must not be forgotten.
How do I recognize poisoning?
It is one of the things that many dog owners among us greatly fear. When the beloved four-legged friend poisons himself or is poisoned! But if the emergency occurs, how do I recognize a poisoning in my faithful companion at all?
What are the symptoms that indicate this?
Remember to take these tips into account! If your protégé has poisoned himself, it is quite possible that more symptoms appear at the same time or one after the other:
- Bloody cough, vomiting
- Diarrhea with traces of blood or black feces
- Loss of appetite
- rapid breathing, increased pulse
- Panic behavior
- Muscle cramps or tremors, paralysis symptoms up to unconsciousness
- Abdominal pain
- Urinary disorders
- Fever
- Sluggishness, increased salivation
- The constriction of the pupils happens only very slowly during a light test
- But also anemia (recognizable by beige or porcelain colored oral mucous membranes)
What is toxic for your dog?
A whole range of foods that are safe for us humans are not the best choice for your pet. For this reason, you should make sure that your pelt nose does not eat them in the first place. But which foods are we talking about?
The following foods (poisons) are not suitable for your dog:
- Cocoa
- Bulbous plants
- Grapes and raisins
- Caffeine
- Some types of nuts
- Avocado
- Alcohol
- Raw pork
- Salt
- Hops
- Sweetener
This is a small excerpt from the many incompatible, respectively toxic foods for your furry nose. You can find the whole list and the reasons in our contribution: What dogs can not eat
If your dog has eaten any of these things, charcoal tablets are the only other remedy you can give him.
The faster you notice poisoning and give him charcoal tablets, the faster this countermeasure will work. The poison should meet with the charcoal tablets in the stomach and intestinal tract.
You should definitely have a Not Ration at home.
Remember to take these tips into account! After you've given him charcoal tablets, your four-legged friend still needs to see the vet right away!
What are charcoal tablets?
Charcoal tablets or also Animal charcoal respectively medicinal charcoal is obtained from plant-based materials such as coconut shells. This raw material is completely carbonized so that only the plant cells remain as a porous framework structure.
These then have a few atomic layers of carbon and bind chemical substances to themselves like toxins. Thus, these are no longer harmful to the body and can be excreted in the feces.
These substances are as porous as, for example, a sponge and absorb the substances. Therefore, they are used against poisoning.
The correct dosage
For charcoal tablets to fully develop their effect, the dosage must be correct.
The first option you have is to get a Prepare emergency rations from your vet lets. Then you are always prepared for an emergency. Alternatively, of course, the Manufacturer information on the packaging or the package insert. As a basic Rule of thumb applies to charcoal tablets:
1g coal per 1kg body weight
So, for a dog of 50kg, this would mean 50g of charcoal to be administered. Depending on the concentration, this can mean up to 50 tablets in this case! This is quite a lot and therefore a plan should always be ready for this.
However, be sure to discuss the amount and method of procurement with your veterinarian.
How do charcoal tablets work?
As just described, charcoal tablets do not consist of normal charcoal, as it is produced when burning a toast. This medicinal coal is obtained by charring plants, nuts or wood.
After this process, it is comparable to many small sponges that are absorbent. Once they enter the gastrointestinal tract, they absorb chemical substances such as toxins. These are then excreted by your pet through the feces. During this period, the excrement turns black due to the charcoal, but this is not harmful in this context.
In order for this process to take place correctly, your quadruped must absorb the charcoal tablets as quickly as possible. If this happens too late, the respective toxin can pass the intestinal wall and thus enters the bloodstream.
Furthermore, it is important to note that charcoal tablets only work if the poisoning is in the gastrointestinal tract!
After giving the charcoal tablets to your four-legged friend, you still need to take him to the vet immediately.
For which poisonings should you use charcoal tablets?
Charcoal tablets are not effective for every type of poisoning.
How to Stop toxic food eaten such as chocolate, grapes, chives or garlic in leftovers, etc.. (see above), then charcoal tablets are effective. This is also true if he Rat poison or Slug pellets has ingested.
Slug pellets works much faster than rat poison. Once it has reached the bloodstream, there is no antidote. So you should be very careful when using slug pellets in your own garden or in the neighbor's garden. The dog then has no business there!
If he did eat it, charcoal tablets are helpful, as long as it is noticed quickly.
Another danger of poisoning forms Mineral fertilizer. Charcoal tablets are also appropriate here.
Tip: If you pass by heavily used agricultural areas (wheat and corn fields) while walking, do not let your dog eat grass. Also puddles of water there should be avoided urgently.
Along the roadside there is often a particularly large amount of fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. When driving out the agrochemicals, the farmer will turn around here or possibly even stop. So here the concentration of toxins is particularly high.
For which poisonings are charcoal tablets ineffective?
As already mentioned, charcoal tablets only work if the toxin is in the gastrointestinal tract. Charcoal tablets are ineffective for poisoning directly through the bloodstream.
Especially in the warm seasons during walks in the woods and meadows or on vacation, your dog can be bitten by a snake or scorpion. Also insect bites with anaphylactic shock should not be forgotten.
In addition to the toxin, foreign protein also enters your dog's bloodstream. This has a strong impact on the immune system. Charcoal tablets are completely useless in these cases.
How to administer correctly
Many still have the question of how to administer the charcoal tablets to their dog. Especially if it is a large and heavy quadruped, the amount of coal is also not exactly little. What are the options?
Basically, every dog is different. So the one right way of feeding does not exist.
Nevertheless, as with so much, the dog to the combination of feed and charcoal. Larger quantities of coal can also be hidden in the feed.
Also available in powder form
The coal can also be used in Powder form buy. This can be perfectly mixed with wet food with a decent proportion of sauce. Should your quadruped take this so the better!
Also, you should make sure to give him the charcoal tablets not to be administered with prohibited foods. Say chocolate or leftovers containing garlic, chives, etc. are therefore strictly prohibited!
For diarrhea
Charcoal tablets are also used against Diarrhea in dog administered. If he ever has diarrhea, you can mix the charcoal tablets into his food. This way he will get used to it if there should ever be a case of poisoning.
But if your dog doesn't want to take the charcoal tablets, don't fight it. Violence in this situation is not helpful because it will increase your dog's stress level tremendously. He notices that something is wrong and is no longer accessible.
In addition, violent actions can cause other consequences. An example of this would be if the coal got into the lungs of your faithful companion.
Instead, you have to trick him into taking it anyway.
Examples of tricking
- Coat the charcoal tablets with liver sausage or something similar.
- Charcoal tablets pressed into cheese cubes are also an option
- Or mix the charcoal tablets in wet food
If none of these options work and your dog just doesn't want to take the charcoal tablets, then let him! It could well be that too much time has passed and he can no longer swallow properly.
Instead of using force, the immediate way to the vet should be chosen. This is true even if he took the charcoal tablets. Because administering the coal does not prevent a visit to the vet.
That's why it's best to remember this infographic
My Conclusion
Poisoning or ingestion of toxic substances is not to be trifled with. Here time is worth its weight in gold! Immediately administered charcoal tablets and then to the doctor!
To help you act quickly in this stressful situation, always keep an emergency ration at home.
The best way to prevent poisoning is to pay close attention to what your dog eats throughout the day. Therefore, do not let strangers feed your dog.
Also, always stay up to date on warnings for poison attacks on dogs on the Internet or in the newspaper. This also applies to tips from the neighborhood and other dog owners.
I am a veterinarian and writer on animal health topics. Animals are my passion and it is my personal concern to create medically accurate articles and videos to inform pet owners as much as possible.
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