Antifreeze Poisoning In Dogs and Cats

Antifreeze poisoning is one of the most common forms of poisoning in small animals, and this is because it is so commonly found in households. Antifreeze poisoning typically happens when antifreeze drips from a car’s radiator, where it is licked off the ground and ingested by a pet. Your dog may also come into contact with antifreeze that has been added to a toilet bowl. This occurs in homes where the residents will use antifreeze during the cold months to "winterize" their pipes. Even if you do not take this action in your own home, it is something to be aware of when visiting other homes, or when vacationing at a winter residence.

Antifreeze products usually contain one of three active ingredients:

* Ethylene glycol
* Propylene glycol
* Methanol

Signs of Antifreeze Poisoning:

Stage One

*Staggering
*Vomiting
*Confusion/disorientation
*Listlessness
*Excessive drinking and urination

The first stage of antifreeze poisoning starts approximately thirty minutes after ingestion. Your dog will be appearing to be drunk, he may vomit, stagger and suffer from confusion and disorientation. This stage of the poisoning may last for several hours.

Stage Two

* Diarrhea
* Convulsions
* Unconsciousness

Stage two will commence after your dog will have gone through what appears to be a recovery period. He'll seem to be getting better, but shortly (possibly a day or longer) afterwards, the toxins will permanently damage his liver and kidneys as these organs try to metabolize the poison.

Diagnosis:

Dogs and cats can only be cured when the poisoning is detected before extensive kidney damage has occurred. Diagnosis is not difficult when an owner presents a pet that is staggering and drunken in appearance and has seen the animal drink the poison. It is much more difficult when the ethylene glycol first reaches the liver because early in this stage the pet will appear healthy while later in this stage symptoms are multisystem and nonspecific. We often confuse these signs with other diseases such as pancreatitis, acute gastroenteritis, diabetes or other forms of kidney disease. By the time ethylene glycol metabolites have attacked the kidneys it is too late for a cure. By this time the animal is very sick from uremia and acidic blood (acidosis). In unfortunate animals that die, it is the six-sided or Maltese-cross shaped crystals of calcium oxalate within kidney tubules that allow pathologists to make the diagnosis. Sometimes the urine of affected pets will glow when exposed to a woods or ultraviolet lamp.

Emergency First Aid

Immediate veterinary assistance is the only thing that will save your dog. Inducing vomiting and giving your dog activated charcoal will not cure your dog, but it will lessen the poison that is in his system. Save any of vomited material, and bring it with you to the vet's.

Prevention

Antifreeze poisoning can be easily avoided by following a few simple precautions:

1. Keep antifreeze containers tightly closed and stored out of the reach of pets.

2. Take care not to spill antifreeze, and if it is spilled, ensure that it is immediately and thoroughly cleaned up.

3. Dispose of used antifreeze containers properly.

4. Check the radiator of your car regularly, and repair leaks immediately.

5. Do not allow your dog to wander unattended where there is access to antifreeze (e.g., roads, gutters, garages, and driveways).

6. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has labeled propylene glycol safe and it is now used for antifreeze. Look for antifreeze with this ingredient instead, to keep your pet safer from accidental poisoning.