18/01/2024
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LETS TALK ANTIFREEZE POISONING..
Ethylene glycol is an odorless, sweet-tasting, organic chemical that’s found in antifreeze, and it’s poisonous to cats and dogs. It’s used in many products to help prevent liquids from freezing at cold temperatures or to aid in temperature regulation for air conditioning systems.☣️⚠️⚠️⚠️
Because of ethylene glycol’s varied uses, it is found in many home and industrial items such as antifreeze, windshield washer fluids, de-icers, solvents, and condenser fluids. 🧴
Less than ½ tablespoon🥄🥄 of antifreeze can be lethal for your pet.
If you think your pet has ingested seek immediate Veterinary attention.
Here are the symptoms of antifreeze poisoning to watch for and what to do if you think your cat got into antifreeze.
Symptoms of Antifreeze Poisoning in Cats.🐈⬛🐈
The guidelines below will give you an idea of what you could see at each stage, depending on how much time has passed since exposure to this lethal chemical.
Stage 1: 30 minutes to 12 hours after exposure (acute signs of toxicity)
This is the most important time to seek veterinary treatment. For the antidotes to be effective and prevent permanent damage, treatment must be initiated in the first 4 hours.
Clinical Symptoms: vomiting, lethargy, incoordination, increased urination, seizures, and coma
Pets may act like they are “drunk” at this stage of toxicity.
Stage 2: 12-24 hours after exposure (false recovery)
This phase of the toxicity does not always occur.
Clinical Symptoms: dehydration, depression, low body temperature
Initial clinical symptoms and pet’s outward appearance will improve, but internally, toxic effects are still occurring.
Stage 3: 12-24 hours after exposure (kidney failure)
Typically, if your pet reaches this stage of toxicity, the prognosis for recovery is poor.
Clinical Symptoms: lethargy/depression, vomiting, seizures, not eating, kidney failure, and death
At this stage the kidneys have severe damage, so the body is no longer able to filter the blood and produce urine.
⚠️⚠️Symptoms of Dog Antifreeze Poisoning⚠️⚠️
Is there a chance your dog 🐕🐶has ingested antifreeze?
If so, it’s crucial that you learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of antifreeze poisoning.
Stages of Dog Antifreeze Poisoning Symptoms
The symptoms of antifreeze poisoning come in stages and get worse as the condition progresses.
The earlier you spot these symptoms and get your dog veterinary care the better.
Below are the different stages of dog antifreeze poisoning symptoms:
Early symptoms of dog antifreeze poisoning include:
Vomiting🤮🤮🤮
Vomiting is one of the first signs of antifreeze poisoning in dogs. You may notice the color of the vomit looking slightly green, and if so, you can be sure your dog has ingested antifreeze. However, the color of the vomit is not always an indication of what’s going on with your dog.
Confusion and Lack of Coordination
Within the first half hour of ingesting antifreeze, dogs will become confused and disoriented. They may wander around and may also have trouble coordinating their bodies. They may stumble and fall easi
Excessive Urination and Thirst 🚰🚰
Antifreeze poisoning causes excessive thirst within the first 30 minutes of ingestion. This excessive thirst then leads to excessive, uncontrollable urination. These symptoms are some of the telltale signs your dog is dealing with antifreeze poisoning, especially if the symptoms are sudden and acute.
Seizure
Some dogs may start having seizures within the first hour after ingesting antifreeze. Seizures can be symptoms of a variety of other dog health conditions, but if you see them in conjunction with other symptoms on this list, you should be concerned about the possibility of antifreeze poisoning
Progressing Symptoms
As antifreeze poisoning progresses, your dog may start experiencing the following symptoms
Severe Dehydration
The longer the poisoning progresses, the more the dog will become dehydrated from antifreeze poisoning. Since dehydration is more of a silent symptom than those listed already, some pet owners may not recognize that their dogs have reached this second stage of antifreeze poisoning and may mistakenly believe the symptoms are easing up.
Increased Heart Rate ❤️ 💙
During this stage, the dog will also suffer from an increased heart rate. The dog may be unable to rest well because of this, and may be anxious, frightened, or weak as a result of the heart rate issues as wellThis symptom usually occurs about 12 hours after the dog ingests antifreeze
Difficulty Breathing
Difficulty breathing or an increased breathing rate can occur along with antifreeze poisoning as well. Although these symptoms are slightly less common than the others listed here, they are still potential signs that your dog is dealing with antifreeze poisoning
Breathing problems usually begin about 24 hours after the dog ingests antifreez
Advanced Symptoms
Once your dog has reached the advanced stage of antifreeze poisoning, the following symptoms may begin to occur.
Kidney Failure
Kidney failure is likely to occur in dogs with antifreeze poisoning about three days after the ingestion of the antifreeze. As the kidneys shut down, they will become painful and may cause the dog to show signs of serious pain as well.
They will stop producing urine, which means the dog will not be able to urinate anymore. This, in turn, will cause the dog to become much sicker much more quickly, and will also lead to severe weakness and lethargy as the kidneys continue to shut down.
Seizure
Dogs who are in the last stages of antifreeze poisoning are likely to suffer from frequent seizures. They may also go into a coma as a result of the effects of the poisoning on the nervous system. Seizures and coma can occur at any time during the poisoning, but are more likely around three days after ingestion.
Lethargy and Weakness
By this stage, dogs will become extremely lethargic and depressed. They will be unable or unwilling to get up and move around, and they may be so weak that they cannot even sit up. Dogs may simply stay in a resting position without moving
Death
Finally, the dog will die from antifreeze poisoning if it is left untreated. If a dog is treated within eight hours of ingesting antifreeze, she has a good chance of surviving. If not, however, there is very little vets can do for a dog suffering from antifreeze poisoning.
If this post promotes awareness and saves one animal its worth it.
Let's keep your pet's safe 🙏 ❤️
Bev
RVN ( Smiley Canines)
