What did your dog eat?
You may or may not know right away if your dog has been poisioned. If you go in the other room and find your dog
licking rat poision out of the box, you will know what your dog has eaten, and when. But, sometimes your dog has eaten
something you don't know about and later becomes sick. At that point you will need to quickly determine if the dog has
eaten something that has caused it to be sick, what it ate, and when.
Again, prevention is always an important step. In your house, find all types of products that could poision your
dog, and put them somewhere your dog cannot get into them. Anything with chemicals or petrolium products is poision
to your dog. Many common houseplants and foods are also poision to your dog.
Knowing where your dog is at all times and making sure the area the dog is in is safe is an important part of prevention.
If you are going to be gone and not taking the dog with you, keeping the dog in a crate will keep your dog safe. If
you are visiting family or friends, taking the dog's crate will give you a familiar place to put your dog during times
when you are not watching.
Outside, many hazards can be available to a dog. The most common problem is puddles of anti-freeze. This
tastes very good to dogs and is highly poisionous. Do not let your dog drink out of puddles on the ground, because petrolium
products from the road may have washed into low areas. In rural areas, creeks and ponds may contain Giardia, an intestinal
parasite which can make dogs very sick. When you travel, carry water from home for your dog, or distilled water, because
changes in water can make your dog sick.
