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Antifreeze Is
Deadly To Pets
Antifreeze’s sweet smell and taste may attract animals, but the toxic substance
can be lethal to the curious critters who
lap it up. Winter brings with it a deadly risk to pets
as drivers add or change their car's engine
coolant. Standard antifreeze is deadly to humans
and animals.
 A substance in the antifreeze causes kidney failure when the body
converts it
to a crystal.
As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze can kill a dog or cat.
Many pets die or
have to be
euthanized because owners don't recognize signs
of poisoning until it's too
late.
Symptoms sometimes don’t show up for several
days after animals have consumed
antifreeze.
A large number of animals that
ingest antifreeze do not recover. By some
estimates, 10,000
companion animals
die each year from antifreeze poisoning, making the toxin
ethylene glycol a
serious concern for pet guardians.
Animals have six to eight hours after they
consume
antifreeze for effective treatment; otherwise a slow, painful death is
likely.
The ideal
treatment window is within the first four hours.
Recognizing antifreeze poisoning
symptoms is important, because many pet guardians may
not immediately realize that their pet has been exposed to the toxin until it's
too late.
Antifreeze poisoning occurs in two
phases. In the first phase, the animal typically appears
lethargic, disorientated, uncoordinated, and groggy. Symptoms usually appear
thirty minutes
to one hour after ingestion and can last for several hours.
The second phase, which can last up to
three days, is characterized by symptoms such as
vomiting, oral and gastric ulcers, kidney failure, coma, and death.
Thousands of pets have suffered this
preventable fate, prompting several states, and the
federal government, to consider legislation that could drastically lower the
incidence of
antifreeze poisonings in both humans and animals.
There are two antidotes for antifreeze poisoning. The older treatment is more
commonly practiced
as it is more economical. An animal is given ethanol, or grain alcohol, via an
intravenous drip for
two to three days.
Antifreeze is an alcohol which a particular enzyme in the body converts to toxic
crystals. By giving
the animal ethanol, you tie up the enzyme that converts the antifreeze to a
toxin.
Though this treatment requires hospitalization, if treated early with the
antidote and supportive
care, most animals recover with the only side effect being a hangover from being
drunk for three
days. The second treatment, a new drug called Antizol, has fewer side-effects
but is more costly
than ethanol treatment.
Help Prevent Antifreeze
Poisoning in Animals
1. If you see an animal ingest
antifreeze, don't wait to see if it gets sick. If an animal has
ingested antifreeze, the first thing to do is induce vomiting. Give the animal 1
teaspoon of
3 percent hydrogen peroxide per 5 pounds of body weight. Vomiting should start
within
10 minutes. Then get the animal to the vet immediately.
2. There are safe antifreeze solutions.
Major antifreeze brands make nontoxic varieties that
use propylene glycol rather then ethylene glycol. To be safe, switch to a brand
of antifreeze
that contains propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol.
3. Keep antifreeze sealed and away from
animals; clean up spills completely and fix any leaks
immediately.
4. Don't allow your pet to wander
unattended near driveways, roads, garages, or other places
where she could come into contact with antifreeze.
5. Monitor your pet for
strange behavior. If you think she may have ingested antifreeze,
take her to a veterinarian immediately.
 Warnings:
An animal must be taken to the veterinarian within 12 hours of ingesting
antifreeze.
After 12 to 24 hours, kidney failure will occur, followed eventually by death.
In freezing weather, the only water that's not frozen may contain antifreeze. so
don't allow your
pet to drink from puddles.
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