What you need to know about dog poisoning
Aldicarb (trade name Temik) is widely used as a pesticide on crops such as cotton, potatoes and peanuts.
The intentional poisoning of dogs with Aldicarb has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa.
Aldicarb (trade name Temik) is widely used as a pesticide on crops such as cotton, potatoes and peanuts.
It is most often stolen from unsuspecting farmers by farm workers and sold to street vendors who sell it to “customers” for as little as R5 per teaspoonful.
This neurotoxin with the street name, “Two Step” is a tasteless odorless black powder. It is placed in food by possible robbers. They toss the laced food over walls and fences; then wait a few hours for the dogs to die. Dogs may die suddenly in only 20 minutes after ingestion. Other dogs may show various symptoms and die hours to days later if not taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
One teaspoon is enough to kill a grown rhino and 1mg (1 thousandth of a gram) can kill a rodent – this substance is more poisonous than arsenic. Aldicarb has been used by poachers to kill Rhino.
It is not hard to imagine and indeed likely that Aldicarb has been the cause of human death, either on purpose or inadvertently. Two Step is totally tasteless to dogs, but is extremely bitter when taken by humans.
