Tonight i had a craving for chocolate and bought a giant (half pound) dark chocolate bar on my way home. I ate a small piece and left the rest on the counter. I went out to the post office after dinner and came back a half hour later and to my horror found the wrapper on the floor and a dog licking her chocolately lips. Lucily it wasn't my little havanese (she was safely in her crate), but it was still a lethal amount of chocolate for my labradoodle!
I of course was prepared for this, and broke open my doggy first aid kit that included peroxide. But how exactly do you get peroxide into an uncooperative dog. Needless to say, i ruined a shirt and pair of jeans, and only got a small amount of peroxide into the the dog and the bottle was empty. I waited 15 minutes, pushed on her stomach, no vomiting. I called my vet. They were closed for the night. The emergency vet answered, but he said just keep trying the peroxide (some help he was). My own vet called me back. She was at a class out of town and not able to see me but gave me some advice over the phone. She calculated the dose (in the toxic range). Told me how to give the peroxide (mix 50 ml with peanut butter, dog ate it no problem).
Time to move on to the treatment/detoxification phase. Of course this is usually done by the vet, but I've done it in humans (i'm an MD) so was willing to try it in my dog. I went into my hospital to get the supplies to pump my dog's stomach; nasogastric tube, syringes, lube, activated charcoal... got home and was never so happy to see a big pile of vomit on the middle of the rug!!! No need to pump the stomach!!! She has vomited twice since and there is nothing left in there. She is not happy but the chocolate is gone. I have learned my lesson, and I am more prepared if it ever happens again!
Take home lessons:
1. Never leave chocolate in reach of a dog
2. Always have peroxide on hand
3. to get a dog to drink peroxide, mix it with peanut butter
4. after giving peroxide, take the dog for a walk. the activity will help induce vomiting.
My heart is still pounding. I would never forgive myself if I lost my dog because of something so stupid.
I of course was prepared for this, and broke open my doggy first aid kit that included peroxide. But how exactly do you get peroxide into an uncooperative dog. Needless to say, i ruined a shirt and pair of jeans, and only got a small amount of peroxide into the the dog and the bottle was empty. I waited 15 minutes, pushed on her stomach, no vomiting. I called my vet. They were closed for the night. The emergency vet answered, but he said just keep trying the peroxide (some help he was). My own vet called me back. She was at a class out of town and not able to see me but gave me some advice over the phone. She calculated the dose (in the toxic range). Told me how to give the peroxide (mix 50 ml with peanut butter, dog ate it no problem).
Time to move on to the treatment/detoxification phase. Of course this is usually done by the vet, but I've done it in humans (i'm an MD) so was willing to try it in my dog. I went into my hospital to get the supplies to pump my dog's stomach; nasogastric tube, syringes, lube, activated charcoal... got home and was never so happy to see a big pile of vomit on the middle of the rug!!! No need to pump the stomach!!! She has vomited twice since and there is nothing left in there. She is not happy but the chocolate is gone. I have learned my lesson, and I am more prepared if it ever happens again!
Take home lessons:
1. Never leave chocolate in reach of a dog
2. Always have peroxide on hand
3. to get a dog to drink peroxide, mix it with peanut butter
4. after giving peroxide, take the dog for a walk. the activity will help induce vomiting.
My heart is still pounding. I would never forgive myself if I lost my dog because of something so stupid.