POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. 



593 



The symptoms of poisoning always ap- 

 pear very rapidly, and this fact, combined 

 with the urgency of the symptoms and the 

 great distress of the animal, usually leads 

 us to guess what has happened. 



Poisons are divided into three classes : 

 the irritant, the narcotic, and the narcotico- 

 irritants. 



The irritant class give rise to great pain 

 in the stomach and belly, which is often 

 tense and swollen, while the vomited mat- 

 ters are sometimes tinged with blood. The 

 sickness and retching are very distressing ; 

 so, too, at times is the diarrhoea. 



The narcotic, such as opium, morphia, 

 etc., act upon the brain and spinal cord, 

 causing drowsiness, giddiness, and stupor, 

 accompanied at times by convulsions 01 

 paralysis. 



The narcotico-irritants give rise to in- 

 tense thirst, great pain in the stomach, with 

 vomiting and purging. 



Whenever it is suspected that a dog 

 has swallowed narcotic poison, the first 

 thing to do is to encourage vomiting by the 

 mouth. We must get rid of all the poison 

 we can as speedily as possible. Sulphate 

 of zinc dose, five to twenty grains or more 

 in water is one of the speediest emetics we 

 have; or sulphate of copper dose, three 

 to ten grains is good. At the same time 

 the dog must be well drenched with luke- 

 warm water. 



The symptoms and general treatment of 

 the more common poisons are given below, 

 but I advise the amateur to send at once 

 for a veterinary surgeon when the sudden 

 on-coming of pain, distress, restlessness, 

 vomiting, etc., indicate that the dog has 

 picked up something. 



ACID, CARBOLIC. In whatever way this 

 is introduced into the system it is followed 

 by symptoms of great pain, sickness, 

 shivering, and trembling, prostration or 

 collapse. Olive oil or white of egg drench. 

 Drench of sulphate of magnesia. Wrap- 

 ping in hot rug, with hot-water bottles; the 

 administration of brandy and water with 

 sal-volatile. 



ANTIMONY, or tartar emetic, rare in dog 

 poisoning, but there are cases seen. Give 

 emetics and demulcents, barley water, white 

 of egg mixed in water, magnesia, arrow- 

 root and milk. Afterwards stimulants for 



75 



collapse. Wrap warmly up in a rug and 

 put near fire. 



ARSENIC. The poison may have been 

 put down for cats or dogs. It is found in 

 many rat pastes and in vermin killers, also 

 in fly papers, which should never be placed 

 in the way of puppies. 



Symptoms. There is depression at first, 

 soon followed by terrible pain in stomach 

 and throat, hacking and coughing, vomit- 

 ing of brown matter and mucus, purging, 

 great thirst, exhaustion, and collapse. 



Treatment. Emetic to encourage vomit- 

 ing, drenching with salt and water or soapy 

 water; milk, flour and water. Magnesia* 

 in large doses, or from a drachm to an 

 ounce of dialysed iron after more urgent 

 symptoms have abated, barley water, stimu- 

 lants to overcome depression, hot fomenta- 

 tions and linseed poultices to stomach ; 

 rest. 



CANTHARIDES, or fly blister. A puppy 

 has been known to pick up and swallow 

 this. Pain, great restlessness, and vomit- 

 ing of mucus and blood. Emetics, fol- 

 lowed by demulcents, white of egg, milk, 

 or gruel. (N.B.- No fat or oil of any 

 kind.) When the urgent symptoms are re- 

 lieved, linseed poultices to abdomen, rest 

 and warmth. 



COPPER (in form of verdigris, perhaps). 

 Same treatment as for cantharides. 



IODINE OR IOBIDE OF POTASSIUM. The 

 former is sometimes used to reduce glandu- 

 lar swellings, and too much of the latter is 

 often given in medicine. Iodide of potas- 

 sium, long administered, destroys appetite, 

 and reduces the flesh. Emetic, if the 

 poisoning be acute ; wine of ipecacuanha 

 or sulphate of zinc in hot water; demul- 

 cents, plenty of starch and gruel in full 

 doses, and stimulants. 



LEAD, as in white paint, crayons, French 

 chalk. Give emetics, Epsom salts in hot 

 water; then demulcents and poultices to 

 stomach. 



MERCURY. -In the older books the green 

 iodide of mercury, white precipitate, etc., 

 were recommended for skin and parasite 

 troubles. Well, they killed the parasites 

 and often the dog. Care should be taken 

 when putting ointments of any kind on the 

 skin that the dog does not lick the dressing 

 off. Dogs believe in the curative efficacy 



