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Antifreeze helps keep our car engines running during these frigid winter days. But it’s also poisonous to dogs, who will gladly drink it because it tastes sweet to them.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much antifreeze to kill your dog – only ½ teaspoon per pound of dog, according to Dog Facts: The Pet Parents A-to-Z Home Care Encyclopedia
For a 50-pound dog, that is the equivalent of about a third of a can soda!
Roughly 10,000 dogs in the U.S. fall victim to antifreeze poisoning each year, with an almost 88 percent fatality rate for pets that drink it.
Here are some tips for preventing your dog from antifreeze poisoning:
- Store antifreeze containers up and away from your dog, or in a locked cabinet. Make sure the container is sealed tightly. (Most antifreeze poisoning happens between fall and early spring. Why? That’s when antifreeze is used most often.)
- Make sure your car is not leaking antifreeze in the garage or driveway where your dog will find it.
- Thoroughly clean up any antifreeze spills.
- Dispose of empty antifreeze containers promptly and properly. (Many communities have a designated household hazardous waste disposal site.)
- If you suspect your dog has been poisoned, take him or her to the vet immediately.
Here are some excellent links that provide more details on the symptoms of antifreeze poisoning and procedures to take if the unthinkable happens:
7 Ways To Prevent Antifreeze Poisoning In Dogs – Dogs Naturally (dogsnaturallymagazine.com)
Stay safe and keep that antifreeze where it belongs – in your car!
Until next time,
Hugs and Pug Kisses,
Candy
Photo by EvelynGiggles, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Antifreeze_in_the_radiator.jpg
