Avoid poisoning in dogs
- Veterinarian Mag.med.vet. Emin Jasarevic
- Updated: 2023-04-11
What does poison bait look like? What poisons are used for this purpose? If my dog has eaten a poison bait, what to do? - I would like to clarify these and other questions with this article. In addition, for this article we have Advice from veterinarian Mag.med.vet. Emin Jasarevic obtained. Note: This article is written for the german country.
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
Where can dangers lurk?
1. dangers when walking
Once you leave the house with your pet, there are some poisoning hazards to watch out for. Poison baits can be placed quite specifically.
Besides different poisons are also used for this Broken glass, Nails, Fishhook and also Razor blades 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.
Hunter also use poison bait. Of course, not to fight dogs with it, but animals such as foxes, martens, crows. Often for this purpose Poison eggs used.
This generally involves injecting chicken eggs with poison. Subsequently, the injection site is sealed with silicone, for example, and placed in specific locations.
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 because of poisoning. Affected are mostly mice, rats, birds and also other animals.
. Poisonous plants, Pesticides and unknown waste can contain hazards.
2. dangers in home & garden
Even in your own home, "accidental poison bait" can lurk. Therefore, make sure that the following items or food are out of 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 (these taste sweet! When filling the radiator or water tank of the car can drip a little on the floor. The active ingredient contained in it Glysantin can cause severe 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.
4 Tips for prevention
1. recognize dangerous places immediately
Dangers for poisons or poison attacks are everywhere. With our dear dogs, this can happen in a jiffy.
They swallow something before you can even react. That's why you should always keep an eye on him, be there all around.
Let his Do not extend the line too far, so that, in extreme cases, you can pull him back to you in one move if he doesn't listen to your command.
Particularly risky places are bushes, roadsides, parks, close vicinity of benches, garbage cans.
Also pay attention to whether Dog hater in the neighborhood reside. Are there warnings from other dog owners or was there something 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 practice the Give" and "Off" commandsso that they work always and at any time. You can teach him this in exchange for a treat. Best still with an intermediate command like "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.
Relief measures in acute cases
- 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
Anti-poison bait training with the dog
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.
In which region are most poison baits found?
Where most poison baits are scattered in Germany, Austria or Switzerland is not precisely documented. However, dog haters like to use public places.
This applies to marketplaces, parks, forests, bushes, lakes or meadows with tall grass. The carriers, usually tasty morsels of meat, are meant to fool both dog and owner. Through the Internet you can find out if and when there are Poison bait findings in your environment.
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 in Germany and is subject to prosecution. The penalty for this is a prison sentence of up to 3 years or fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poison bait is anything that could cause harm to your dog's health. The imagination of the wrongdoers is very big! Most often poisons or razor blades are put into meat, so that the dog takes this trap.
Poison baits are often placed in public places such as parks, forests or lakes. It also happens that dog haters also put poison baits in the gardens of dog owners.
Call the police immediately and try to keep your dog away from it. Do not handle the bait without gloves, as it may be laced with contact poison.
The most important thing is good training, so that your dog doesn't eat anything from the ground without your consent in the first place and listens to the command "off". Always keep an eye on him while you are outside.
If your dog shows signs of poisoning, then you need to see a vet immediately. If you can find stool, feces or other samples of the poison, take them to the vet. If available, you can give your dog an activated charcoal tablet.
Veterinarian’s Recommendation
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.
I am a veterinarian and writer on animal health topics. Animals are my passion, and it is my personal goal to create medically accurate articles and videos to educate pet owners as much as possible.
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