They may be popular party fare, but they're no fun for domestic canines.
If ingested, macadamia nuts can cause muscular weakness, depression, vomiting, incoordination, tremors, abdominal pain and muscle stiffness, reports Dr. Jill A. Richardson of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). "So far these symptoms have only been seen in dogs," says Richardson.
Although veterinarians aren't sure exactly what component in macadamia nuts makes them toxic, they do know that other nuts don't cause similar problems. If you suspect that your dog has eaten macadamia nuts--or any other potentially dangerous substance--call your veterinarian or 1-888-4-ANI-HELP for round-the-clock telephone assistance. For more information on poison prevention, visit http://www.apcc.aspca.org
Grape and raisin poisonings in Dogs
Recently, there was a letter in the AVMA Journal from Dr. Gwaltney-Brant and others at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center discussing grape and raisin poisoning in dogs. Apparently, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs when ingested in large quantities. The grapes and raisins came from varied sources, including being eaten off the vine directly. The dogs exhibited gastrointestinal signs including vomiting and diarrhea and then signs of kidney failure with an onset of severe kidney signs starting about 24 hours after ingestion of the grapes or raisins. The amount of grapes eaten varied between 9oz. and 2 lbs., which worked out to be between 0.41 and 1.1 oz/kg of body weight. Two dogs died directly from the toxicity, three were euthanized due to poor response to treatment and five dogs lived. Due to the severity of the signs and the potential for death, the veterinarians as the poison control center advocate aggressive treatment for any dogs suggested of ingesting excessive amounts of grapes or raisins, including inducing vomiting, stomach lavage (stomach pumping) and administration of activated charcoal, followed by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours or as indicated based on the results of blood tests for kidney damage.
I have
fed my dogs a few grapes every now and then for years, so I don't think there is
a need to panic if a dog eats three or four grapes but if the whole bunch is
missing from the table one day, it would be good to think about watching for any
signs of a toxic reaction.
Michael Richards, DVM
6/5/2001
Permethrin - MAXIDE Garden and Pet Dust
Recently a good friend of mine lost one of her dogs because she used MAXIDE Garden and Pet Dust in her yard to prevent fleas and ticks. She suffered the worst of consequences and lost one of her beloved dogs who was about 1 yr old. The dog suffered from severe seizures off and on for days, then finally succombed to a stroke. She and her husband are totally devastated. As far as I know, her other two dogs seem to be OK.
I got on this product's website and they say you can even use it on your pets, not only dogs, but cats, kittens and puppies. And it's supposed to be SAFE!!! Well, obviously it isn't. Like people, some are more susceptible than others, but don't take any chances with your pets.
Whatever you do, do not use any product which contains permethrin on or around dogs or cats. It is lethal. The new topical flea and tick control product, K-9 Advantix contains permethrin in the same concentration as the dust she used. Do not buy it! I am telling everyone I know who has animals not to use MAXIDE Garden and Pet Dust or K-9 Advantix.
Please pass on this info to anyone you know with dogs or cats.
Ingested
Star of Bethlehem Bulb Kills 3 Pugs
Two of our adopted Pugs, Lady and Mr. Peabody, went to a marvelous home with
loving and concerned guardians. When the guardians were preparing to do a planting
in their yard, they consulted with their nursery and the Sunset Magazine guide
to toxic plants to make selections that would not be a danger to their precious
Pugs. Unfortunately, none of the sources with whom they checked had Star of
Bethlehem bulbs on their "poisonous to dogs" lists.
Their younger Pug apparently dug up some of the bulbs and shared them with his
friends. Within 24 hours all three Pugs were dead. Their vet, initially concerned
about an undetected communicable disease, closed down his practice for several
days for the safety of his other patients. Samples of every possible contaminant
in the house were taken, and along with samples of the Pugs' stomach contents,
sent for testing to the ASPCA Poison Center.
It was only when the results of the tests came back that the grieving guardians
discovered that the Star of Bethlehem bulbs had killed their Pugs.
Pugs will eat anything readily accessible to them and many things that take
a little work to find, like digging up planted bulbs. NEVER assume your Pug
will not be able to get into something that is dangerous for him or her!
Other plants that are of known danger to dogs include Morning Glory, Oleander,
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Daffodils, Easter Lilies and Elephant Ear ferns.
For a complete list of toxic plants, please go to the following web site:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=apcc
Also keep the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline number posted for yourself and your
pet sitter: (888)426-4435.
While this report refers
to Hartz products for cats, there have been similar warnings about their products
for dogs. Please be safe, not sorry, and don't use Hartz products on your Pugs!
Hartz Flea, Tick Drops Generating
Thousands Of Complaints
Product Causes Convulsions, Seizures In Some Cats
Jeff Burnside, NBC 6 Reporter
POSTED: 3:19 pm EDT July
14, 2004
UPDATED: 10:58 am EDT July 15, 2004
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A nationally sold pet product may be harming or even killing your pet. And now, an NBC 6 investigation has found that a warning label that the maker said could fix the problem is not working.
Flea and tick products are found in millions of homes in South Florida and across America. One of them is generating thousands of complaints and horror stories.
Consumers are reporting that their cats are going into convulsions, seizures, are unable to walk or control their muscles.
An Arkansas veterinarian videotaped several cases of severe reactions. When pet owners like Karen West, of West Palm Beach, saw the videotape, they said it's exactly what they witnessed with their cats.
West gives her cat named "Little Kitty" extra loving these days because it began convulsing, she says, after she applied Hartz flea and tick drops for cats.
"He actually had tremors. His head was going like this," West said, as she jerked her head to one side. "And his eyes were wildly dilated and I was petrified. … I was in total shock but I knew I had to act, because my cat would die if I didn't act."
When West rushed her cat to a nearby animal emergency clinic, clinic workers told her they had seen the product create a similar reaction many times before.
"I went from being shocked to being really mad," West said.
West is not the only cat owner who's really mad. Angry websites and postings dot the Internet, complaining about Hartz flea and tick drops.
There have been 7,100 complaints between 1998 and the beginning of this year, including dozens of deaths, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Some veterinarians say it's a well-known problem.
Dr. Sam Strauss of Pembroke Lakes says the risk of reaction from Hartz flea and tick drops, while rare, is too high and too severe.
"I would never give this product to my cat,” Strauss said. “I would not also take a gun with 100 empty chambers and one bullet and spin the chamber and put it to my head."
What is Hartz's response to the controversy? The company's top doctor, Albert Ahn, said, "When one looks at the actual incidents where there seems to be a strong link or a probable link between use of the product and an alleged adverse event, we find that, in fact, that the rate is very, very low."
Hartz says, in most cases, it's the pet owners’ fault for not following directions. Ahn says the chance a cat will react to its flea and tick drops is just 1 in 25,000.
But an EPA memo states, "There is significant evidence … that some cats develop neurological signs of toxicity after exposure" and that "pets not receiving aggressive care may die."
Hartz agreed to pull the product from shelves to repackage it with a warning label and better instructions because they maintain most of the problems are caused by customers' mistakes -- not the product itself.
But NBC 6 has learned that, since the new label went on, the number of complaints has not gone down, suggesting customers may not be primarily to blame.
The box West used had the new instructions. She is sure she used the product properly.
"I read all the instructions. I applied it exactly as it said," West said.
In an interview, when it was pointed out that no other similar product has generated such anger, Ahn said, "Contrary to your representation, Jeff, this is a very popular flea and tick treatment."
It is a popular product largely because it is much less expensive than other flea and tick medicine.
Strauss argues, "I don't know any veterinarians that routinely recommend its use, simply because there are safer and more effective products on the market."
West was upset because she bought the less expensive Hartz brand even though she normally buys the more expensive flea and tick medications.
As a result, she marched back to the store demanding Hartz be removed.
"I first asked the owner, the manager to do it," she said. "And I didn't see him going do it. And so I went back and did it myself and I handed it to him in a big armload. And I said, 'This just poisoned my cat. Don't sell it to anybody else.'"
All sides agree there's some risk in any medicine. As Hartz puts it, even peanut butter generates reaction in some people. But what is an acceptable level of risk?
The EPA tells us it is disappointed the new warning label has not reduced complaints, and that the issue is far from resolved.
Two leading animal welfare groups, PETA and the Humane Society of the United States, are calling on Hartz to fix the problem.
If your cat has had a reaction,
call Hartz' hotline at (800) 275-1414.
Copyright 2004 by NBC6.net.
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