|
Ten Tips for a Poison
Safe Household
|
|
1. Be aware of the plants you have in
your house and in your pet's yard. The ingestion of azalea, oleander, mistletoe,
sago palm, Easter lily, or yew plant material, by an animal, could be fatal.
2. When cleaning your house, never allow your pet access
to the area where cleaning agents are used or stored. Cleaning agents have
a variety of properties. Some may only cause a mild stomach upset, while
others could cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth, and stomach.
3. When using rat or mouse baits, ant or roach traps, or
snail and slug baits, place the products in areas that are inaccessible
to your animals. Most baits contain sweet smelling inert ingredients, such
as jelly, peanut butter, and sugars, which can be very attractive to your
pet.
4. Never give your animal any medications unless under the
direction of your veterinarian. Many medications that are used safely in
humans can be deadly when used inappropriately. One extra strength acetaminophen
tablet (500 mg) can kill a seven pound cat.
5. Keep all prescription and over the counter drugs out of
your pets' reach, preferably in closed cabinets. Pain killers, cold medicines,
anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins, and diet pills are common examples
of human medication that could be potentially lethal even in small dosages.
One regular strength ibuprofen (200 mg) could cause stomach ulcers in a
ten pound dog.
6. Never leave chocolates unattended. Approximately one-half
ounce or less of baking chocolate per pound body weight can cause problems.
Even small amounts can cause pancreatic problems.
7. Many common household items have been shown to be lethal
in certain species. Miscellaneous items that are highly toxic even in low
quantities include pennies (high concentration of zinc), mothballs (contain
naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. one or two balls can be life threatening
in most species), potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish
detergents (contain cationic detergents which could cause corrosive lesions),
batteries (contain acids or alkali which can also cause corrosive lesions),
home-made play dough (contains high quantity of salt), winter heat source
agents like hand or foot warmers (contain high levels of iron), cigarettes,
coffee grounds, and alcoholic drinks.
8. All automotive products such as oil, gasoline, and antifreeze,
should be stored in areas away from pet access. As little as one teaspoon
of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) can be deadly in a seven pound cat and less
than one tablespoon could be lethal to a 20 pound dog.
9. Before buying or using flea products on your pet or in
your household, contact your veterinarian to discuss what types of flea
products are recommended for your pet. Read ALL information before
using a product on your animals or in your home. Always follow label instructions.
When a product is labelled "for use in dogs only" this means that the product
should NEVER be applied to cats. Also, when using a fogger or a house
spray, make sure to remove all pets from the area for the time period specified
on the container. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, contact
the manufacturer or your veterinarian to clarify the directions BEFORE
use of the product.
10. When treating your lawn or garden with fertilizers, herbicides,
or insecticides, always keep your animals away from the area until the area
dries completely. Discuss usage of products with the manufacturer of the
products to be used. Always store such products in an area that will ensure
no possible pet exposure.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If your dog is lucky enough
to have survived the initial poisoning, you can be sure that some major
organs have been damaged and various metabolic processes have been disrupted.
Commonly, the liver and, to some extent, the kidneys are injured. The liver,
among its varied functions, is the major organ responsible for the breakdown
of toxins. Everything absorbed from the lower gut is dumped into the portal
vein, where it is transported to the liver. An overload of toxins can cause
such severe damage to this vital organ that death from secondary causes can
result. The liver manufactures most of the plasma proteins and all of the
proteins responsible for blood clotting. It also monitors and maintains the
blood sugar levels. Bile, also manufactured by the liver, breaks down dietary
fat and is the chief mechanism for excreting heavy metals. The take home message
is that the liver is a necessary organ for maintaining life.
One of ways the liver helps to rid the body of toxins is to chemically
alter them so as to make them more water soluble; at this point the poison
can be excreted by the kidneys and to some extent the skin and lungs. But
sometimes, these breakdown products, or metabolites, can actually be more
dangerous in their chemically activated forms. Ethelene glycol (a major
component of anti-freeze) is a good example of this. The various metabolites
formed when the liver breaks down this substance will sequentially attack
the central nervous system, lower the pH of the blood to fatal levels and
damage the kidneys.
Detoxification by the liver is carried out by three principal enzyme
systems. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions; i.e., they
increase the rate of these reactions. The first system is called Phase
I. At this point in the detox cascade, chemical modification is handled
by a series of mixed function oxidase enzymes. One of the major routes is
a two step pathway involving the enzymes of the liver (cytochromes P450)
and an enzyme associated with the high density lipoprotein (HDL, or good
cholesterol particle). The second enzyme is called paraoxonase or PON1. In
humans, an amino acid substitution at position 192 of this protein results
in the existence of two different forms of this enzyme in the serum, one
with the amino acid arginine at this position and a second with the amino
acid glutamine at this position. Thus, people and animals are genetically
capable of breaking down poisons at different rates. One form is better for
some insecticides, while the second is better for other insecticides. In
addition to the activity differences observed with the two different genetic
types, individuals can have varying levels of the protein in their blood.
The combined effect of different levels of enzyme and its form, can cause
up to a 100 fold difference in the clearance rates for a given insecticide.
Much research is being carried out by Dr. Clement Furlong and co-workers
at the University of Washington.14 In addition to examining the molecular
basis of differential sensitivity to insecticides, they also are working
on developing treatment procedures for organophosphate poisoning in humans
and animals. Drs. Furlong, Lucio Costa and graduate student Wan-Fen Li have
shown injected PON1 provides protection against organophosphate poisoning
either pre- or postexposure. They are working on procedures for producing
large quantities of recombinant enzyme. One other comment should be made
regarding exposure of young animals (or humans) to organophosphate compounds
processed through the P450/PON1 pathway. Newborns have very low levels of
PON1 and are correspondingly much more sensitive to these compounds, so extreme
caution should be taken to avoid such exposure.
Those metabolites not excreted by the kidneys are processed by the Phase
II system enzymes. These are fat soluble toxins preferentially stored in
the fat cells. Phase III enzymes have a similar function. However, if there
is a lack of Phase II enzymes, the "activated" metabolites produced by the
Phase I enzymes build up in the bloodstream and wreak havoc on the liver
and kidneys. If the level of Phase I enzymes is high and the amount of Phase
II enzymes is low, there is great danger of a toxic detox reaction, because
the intermediate metabolites are processed too slowly. Nutritional support
favours the sequential elimination of toxins and can prevent or ameliorate
the damage done to the liver and kidneys. What follows are specific recommendations
for the canine only. Cats have unique metabolic and dietary needs that cannot
be addressed here.
Recovery
The road to recovery after a major poisoning episode may be long and
uphill. Nutritional support is considered by many to be effective. First
reduce the workload of the liver and the kidney. A bland diet of cooked
white rice is recommended for several days. Do not feed any proteins or
fats because these are processed by the liver and kidneys. To counteract
the effects of the Phase I metabolites, some veterinarians suggest giving
antioxidant vitamins and minerals. These include Ester-C or calcium ascorbate,
vitamin E, selenium, beta carotene, bioflavonoids, selenium, copper, zinc
and manganese, Coenzyme Q10, thiols (from garlic) and superoxide dismutase.
Support for the Phase II enzymes: Do not fast the animal. Substances used
by Phase II enzymes include sulfhydryl donors (N-acetylcysteine, cysteine,
cystine, methionine and glutathione), sulphates (good sources are glutathione
and cystine), pantothenic acid (B5), glycine, taurine, glutamine, arginine,
ornithine, selenium and riboflavin. (Many of these nutritional supplements
are available in Ultra Clear Plus available from Metagenics and similar manufacturers.)16
These substances can be used to speed up Phase II reactions. Glutathione
levels are lowered with stress, so stress reduction especially is important
when detoxing. After reviewing the symptoms, the treatment and follow-on
veterinary and dietary care necessary to recover from poisoning, we think
you will agree with our conclusion:
Conclusion
Prevention is better than cure. Potential for serious poisoning is everywhere.
Anything you would do to "poison proof" your house, yard, garden, garage,
etc., is worth doing for your dogs. Unfortunately, it is not feasible to
remove all potential toxins from the environment. Therefore, being prepared
includes knowing what toxins are in the environment, where they are located,
and what to do in a poisoning situation. We suggest that dog owners conduct
a survey of their animal's environment. Write down the potential toxins
to include the active ingredients in each product, and keep that survey
with a copy of this article and one or both of the books mentioned immediately
available for reference.
