Luke is a happy-go-lucky 11 month old Golden Retriever who loves everybody and everything in life. He has a permanent smile that is absolutely contagious.

During the spring, when he was just 5 months old, he ate some D-Con Rat poison that he found hidden in the deep recesses of the garage.

Luckily, mom saw the tampered package and acted quickly to call us for advice. She immediately induced vomiting, and verified that he had vomited up the bright green granules. She brought the product package in so we could calculate the amount he ingested. We then gave him activated charcoal to absorb any potential rat poison that was not vomited up.

Fortunately, he survived this potentially life threatening crisis and continued to grow normally.

Toxin exposure and foreign body obstructions are on top of the list of possibilities of things that can be life threatening.

Signs of a foreign body obstruction in a pet can include being unusually tired, not interested in eating, vomiting frequently, or exhibiting pain in the abdomen.

Eating toxic substances can cause clinical signs such as salivation, seizures, vomiting, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.

Acting quickly can make all the difference. Do not wait to consult your regular veterinarian if you suspect your pet has ingested something it shouldn’t have.