POISON SCARE

I have a real problem with mice around here and had placed some Tom Cat rat and mouse bait in various storage areas. When I got Molly I went around and tried to pick up all the baits knowing that a curious puppy and rat poison are not a good match. Unfortunately, I missed one.

Yesterday Molly was following me around whilst I did chores and followed me into the garage storage room. I have been on alert fearing I could miss a bait she would find. So, when I saw her chewing on something I immediately tried to find out what it was. Sure enough it was a bait block she had dug out from under some shelving.

Thank goodness Molly is very good with the "release" command and she spit it right out. I opened her mouth and there were some bits in there I tried to get with my finger. It didn't look like she'd had a chance to eat any of it but taking no chances I called the vet. I was told to put a half cup of hydrogen peroxide down her gullet to induce vomiting. A half cup of liquid is a lot. I ended up using a small, squeeze travel bottle to administer it. Molly is nothing if not a trooper. She struggled against it but she took it. Thank goodness dogs are forgiving and forgetting.

After a few minutes Molly started to upchuck. There was a lot because she had recently had her lunch. I was relieved to see there was no sign of the poison. The stuff is a very bright blue green color. I was pretty sure it would be visible after such a short time after ingesting.

This poison kills by destroying blood clotting abilities. I was advised to get Molly some vitamin K ASAP.  The poison can be absorbed through the skin and some could have entered her system by the skin of her mouth. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting.

I had no plans for leaving the mountain. There had been 6 inches of snow in the previous 24 hours and the road out of here can be treacherous with snow and ice. But, in an emergency you do what you have to do so down the mountain we slid.

We got to the vet who gave us a two week course of vitamin K chewable tablets. Molly eats them right up. Heck she thinks they are a treat.

This morning she is just fine. Full of pep and happiness. She is such a trooper. Everyday she impresses me more and more with her joie de vivre and resilience. An absolutely extraordinary being. Joie de vivre, that's something she has in common with Koty. It's one of the things I loved most about him.

One thing I was reminded of in all this is how important it is to always have hydrogen peroxide on hand. It has a million and one uses, many of them medicinal. Had I not had any and Molly had gotten some swallowed, things could have become tragic. My advice: If you don't have any in your household repertoire, get some. If you don't know all the things it's good for read up on it.

©Kinsey Barnard