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Obtaining emergency vet treatment after your pet eats poison

7 July 2017 by Sophie Knight

While ideally your pet would not eat poison it is all too easy for a pet to end up eating poison inadvertently if they end up eating a poisoned piece of flesh (such as a poisoned rat or rabbit) or make it into a space with poison such a shed. 

Here are some tips to help you if you do find a pet that has been poisoned. 

Locate the source of the poison

If you find a pet that seemed to be poisoned the first place to look at is the source of the poison so that the vet can choose an appropriate chemical to counteract the effect. Often you can find the poison somewhere near the body but if you can't another alternative can be to bag up some of the vomit or drool from the animal to see if it can be tested for potential contaminants. 

Call the emergency vet

If you do suspect that your animal may have been poisoned it's important to call a vet get some advice. While many sources advise triggering vomiting in some cases, depending on the poison this end up causing the animal more damage if they end up getting burning through their esophageous and mouth. It is a a good idea to speak to a vet and if the animal is poisoned get them to look over the vet. In some cases, the vet may be able to come to the home but in other cases you might need to take them to an emergency clinic or hospital. 

Calm the animal down as you transport them to the vet (if needed)

It's important to keep your pet as calm and still as possible as you transport them to the vet in order to limit bloodflow through the body and minimise the poisons dissemination through the body. Even if they usually don't mind being transported they can also be very distressed during a trip to the  if they feel unwell. You may find that you need to keep them bound up by swaddling with a towel or sheet to keep them from moving. If you have them at home, try to contain them in a small area such as the bathroom and restrain them as best as possible until the vet arrives. 

While it can be scary to find that your pet has taken poison, once they have got help from a vet they can usually return to full quickly once they have vet help. 

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