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• Common diseases of dogs, cats and rabbits
  • Myxomatosis
  • Dental disease in rabbits
  • Flystrike in rabbits
  • Sore hocks in rabbits
  • 'Conjunctivitis' in rabbits (dacryocystitis)
  • Arthritis
  • Kennel cough
  • Abscesses, cats
  • FeLV
  • FIV
  • Anal gland disease
  • Flea allergy dermatitis
  • Hyperthyroidism in cats
  • Diarhoea
  • Feline stomatitis
  • Feline cystitis
  • Diabetes
  • Heart failure, dogs
  • Kidney disease in cats
• Poisons
  • Benzodiazepines (valium)
  • Cannabis
  • Chocolate and cocoa
  • Contraceptive pill/HRT tablets
  • Daffodil
  • Ethylene glycol
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Ibuprofen
  • Loperamide
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Paracetamol
  • Rodent bait
  • Xylitol (Perfect Sweet)
• Parasites
  • Fleas
  • Ticks
  • Roundworms
  • Lungworm in dogs
  • Tapeworms
  • Fox mange
• Travelling abroad
  • Pet Passport
  • Risks
• Behind the scenes
  • Leaving your pet with us
  • Dental treatment
  • Neutering
  • Xrays and ultrasound
  • Investigating disease
• Positive health
  • Teeth
  • Weight control
  • Vaccinations
  • Diet
  • Neutering
  • Exercise
  • Nails
• Medications
  • Clavaseptin
  • Felimazole
  • Fortekor
  • Prednisilone
  • Metacam
  • Rimadyl
  • Vetmedin
  • Vetoryl
  • Vidalta
  • Vivitonin
• Giving medication
  • Giving tablets
  • Giving liquids
  • Using spot-ons
  • Bathing your pet
  • Using ear medication
  • Using eye medication

• This section provides information on a number of subjects. It should be realised that it is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a widely available 'over the counter' analgesic (pain-killer) and anti-pyretic (fever treatment). It comes in a wide variety of brands in tablets, capsules and liquids. It may be found in drug combinations with other analgesics or with decongestants/antihistamines in cold/flu medications.

Cats are very sensitive to paracetamol with about 25% of reported cases being fatal. A single tablet of average strength can prove to be fatal. Cats lack the normal metabolic pathways in the liver for removing the drug from the blood. Paracetamol will cause the haemoglobin in the red blood cells to be converted to methaemaglobin. Haemaglobin is needed to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues. Methaemaglobin is not able to perform this function.

Signs usually occur within 4-12 hours. The major signs include difficulty in breathing, discoloured membranes in the mouth, swelling of the paws and face, and mental depression. Prompt treatment may help but as noted above many animals will still die. If the animal is seen early enough decontamination of the gut through induced vomiting or gastric lavage will prevent absorption of toxic substances.

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Chocolate and cocoa

The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. The amount of theobromine in the various types of chocolate and cocoa products are:

• white chocolate 0.009mg per gram
• drinking chocolate, dry 0.5mg per gram
• milk chocolate 1.5-2.2mg per gram
• plain chocolate 4.5-16mg per gram
• cocoa powder 5.3-26mg per gram
• cocoa beans 11-43mg per gram
• cocoa shell mulches 14-30mg per gram

The commonest fatalities result from the ingestion of cocoa powder or cocoa shell mulches which reflect their higher theobromine content. A dose in excess of 100mg per kilogram bodyweight is needed to cause signs. This equates to about 1 kilogam of milk chocolate, 200g of plain chocolate or 80g of cocoa powder or cocoa shell mulches. It must be remembered that a box of chocolates often contains only a small proportion of chocolate.

Theobromine stimulates both the heart and the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Signs include rapid heart rate, hyper-activity, salivation, vomiting, restlessness, increased drinking and urinating. Death is the result of severe convulsions and circulatory failure.

Prompt supportive treatment provided by your vet may be life saving. If the animal is seen early enough decontamination of the gut through induced vomiting or gastric lavage will prevent absorption of toxic substances.

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Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol is present in antifreeze and car screenwashes. It is highly toxic to cats with up to 96% of reported cases being fatal. The lethal dose in cats is as little as a teaspoonful per cat. The death rate in dogs is slight lower at around 70%. The lethal dose in dogs is about 1 teaspoon per kilogram bodyweight

Signs can start within 30 minutes with vomiting, weakness, ataxia, increased thirst, breathing difficulties and convulsions. Death from renal failure is common.

The toxic effects a the result of the metabolism of ethylene glycol into glycolic acid and other substances. If the ingestion is witnessed then treatment can be given to prevent this metabolism occuring. Unfortunately in most cases ingestion is not witnessed and the animal is presented in renal failure at which point the prognosis is very poor.

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Grapes and raisins

Grapes in all forms are toxic to dogs. This includes fresh grapes, raisins, sultanas and fruit cake! As little as 5 grapes has been fatal to a 8kg dachshund and as little as 5g of raisins per kilogram bodyweight was fatal in another case.

Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, anorexia, abdominal pain and increased drinking. Death occurs due to renal failure.

Prompt veterinary treatment is potentially life saving. If the animal is seen early enough decontamination of the gut through induced vomiting or gastric lavage will prevent absorption of toxic substances. Because of the effects on the kidneys all affected animals need to be treated aggressively with intravenous fluids to prevent renal failure.

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'Macadamia nuts

The quoted toxic dose of macadamia nuts in dogs is quite wide ranging from 2.4g to 60g per kilogram bodyweight.The toxic compound is unknown.

Toxicity causes locomotory difficulties. Signs include muscle tremmors, weakness, often worse in the hindlimbs, stiffness, lameness and an inability to stand. Abdominal discomfort vomiting and an elevated temperature may also occur.

Veterinary support will usually result in a full recovery within 48hours

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Xylitol (Perfect Sweet)

Perfect Sweet is a natural sugar alternative which is available from a number of outlets incuding Sainsburys. Xylitol is also present in a number of other products including chewing gum.

Use in human diets

Xylitol has a number of advantages over sugar when used in our diets. It is tooth freindly resulting in fewer cavities compared with sugar containing chewing gum. It has 40% less calories than sugar and hence can help in weight control. It has a low glycaemic index so it will not result in a sudden rise in blood sugar that then leaves you feeling hungry again as the levels drop. This is also helpful in diabetics as they are unable to produce the insulin required to deal with the sudden increase in blood sugar levels produced by normal sugar. No toxicity problems in humans have been reported.

Toxicity in dogs

Unfortunately xylitol is a potent stimulant for the release of insulin in dogs. The insulin causes a rapid drop in blood glucose levels (hypoglycaemia). Signs of hypoglycaemia include depression, incoordination, collapse seizures and death. Signs may start as soon as 30 minutes from the time of ingestion. The effect is seen with as little as half a teaspoon in a 20 kg dog (0.1g xylitol per kg bodyweight of dog). Aggressive treatment is required and veterinary attention should be sought as soon as it is known they have eaten any food containing the product. Do not wait for signs to occur! Higher doses such as 2 teaspoonsful in a 20 kg dog(0.1g xylitol per kg bodyweight of dog) can result in liver failure within hours.(If they survive the hypoglycaemia.) One of the reported deaths was in a standard poodle ate only 6 cookies sweetened with xylitol.
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Contraceptive pill/HRT tablets

The importance of these sex hormones lies in their wide availability for ingestion by pets. We frequently asked to advise on possible toxic effects.fortunately they are considered to be of low toxicity when ingested as a single overdose. There are generally no ill effects apart from vomiting and diarrhoea. Some preperations may disrupt a bitches season. No treatment is required even for substantial ingestions

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Daffodil

Most poisoning cases involve dogs ingesting daffodil bulbs although toxicity has been reported as a result of eating the flowers. Toxicty is a as a result of the plants alkaloids and glycosides causing an irritant effect on the gut.

Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal tenderness, salivation, anorexia and lethargy. Ingestion of large amounts can result in collapse, dehydration, hypotension and rarely death.

Treatment is mainly symptomatic. Intravenous fluids may be needed to treat dehydration.

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Rodent bait

This section is restricted to the commonest type of rodenticide which is the warfarin type (anticoagulant). These act by affecting the animals ability to form blood clots. In normal activity there is constant minor damage to blood vessels which is immediately sealed by blood clots. If the animal is unable to form these clots it will bleed to death internally. There are number of different anticoagulant type drugs used in rodent bait. They vary widely in their potential to cause poisoning. Some baits require only a few grams to cause signs whereas others may require kilograms of bait to be ingested.

Signs of poisoning are delayed by 1-3 days and may last up to 2 weeks. Bleeding from nose, gums, bowel may ocur. External bleeding may not be apparent. Black faeces may indicate intestinal bleeding. Lameness may result from bleeding into joints. Coughing and breathing difficulties may result from bleeding into the lungs. Bruising of the gums or pale gums due to blood loss may be observed. Suddden death due to massive internal bleeding can be seen.

Certain clotting factors require vitamin K to be converted to active forms. Vitamin K production in the body is blocked by anticoagulant rodenticides. If vitamin K supplements are given this will allow blood clotting to ocur normally. If signs, history or testing suggest clotting may be compromised then vitamin K is given initially by injection and then by mouth for up to 2 weeks.

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Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drug sold 'over the counter' under various trade names. Most tablets are of a 200 or 400mg strength. The drug is only licensed for human use and can cause toxicity in other species.

Dogs may develop severe gastric ulceration and intestinal irritation at any dose over 10mg per kilogram bodyweight. This may be seen as vomiting, with or without blood, diarrhoea, with or without blood which may give a tarry appearance to the feaces, abdominal pain, anorexia, lethargy and depression. Higher doses may result in kidney failure.

Treatment consists of preventing further absorption of the drug by gastric emptying and the use of intestinal absorbents. Antacids are used to prevent gastric ulceration . Kidney function may need to be supported by the use of intravenous fluids.

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Cannabis

Cannibis is derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the plant Cannabis sativa or hemp. Toxicity in dogs is usually as a result of ingestion rather than passive inhalation of smoke.

Signs include weakness, ataxia (especially hind limbs), drowsiness, dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, urinary and fecal incontinence. Behavioural changes include aggression agitaion and barking

Treatment consists of preventing further absorption of the drug by gastric emptying and the use of intestinal absorbents. Supportive treatment is then given. Fatal outcomes are rare.

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Loperamide

Loperamide is a weak opiate and analgesic which is used to treat diarrhoea. Most capsules are of 2mg strenth and syrups of 1mg per 5ml strength. The toxic dose in dogs is approximately 0.5mg per kilogram bodyweight in most breeds but only 0.1mg per kilogram bodywieght in Collies. Fatal doses are higher.

Signs occur within 1/2 to 6 hours after ingestion. Signs include vomiting, constipation, constricted pupils, salivation, circling, head pressing and incoodination. In severe cases haemorrhagic diarrhoea, depression, drowsiness, collapse, coma and death can occur.

Veterinary treatment is usually successful.

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Benzodiazepines

There are a wide range of benzodiazepines used in human medicine. Diazepam or valium is a commonly recognised one. Other benzodiazepines include alprazolam, bromazepam, flurazepam, loprazepam, lorazepam, midazolam and temazepam.The most likely use outside of hospital is as anticonvulsants and anxiolytics. They come in a wide range of tablets and syrups. Diazepam also comes as a rectal tube for the acute treatment of seizure episodes.

Signs of intoxication include ataxia (drunkeness), drowsiness, muscle tremors. In some animals there may be a paradoxical hyperactivity, agitation and aggresion. Large overdoses may cause hypothermia and coma. If taken long term it may result in liver failure.

In general benzodiazepines are of low toxicity and most animals show mild signs and recover with supportive veterinary care.

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