Animal poisonings in various areas of Roodepoort have left owners distraught and many vulnerable to criminal activity.
Tony Wilkinson, chairperson for the Allens Nek Resident’s Association, said several of their residents’ animals were poisoned only to have their property broken into a couple of days later.
The most common method is a two step/aldicarb poison, which is mixed with rat poison. The tasteless and odourless mixture is put into the dog’s food, causing severe stomach pains for the animal and ultimately a very painful death.
Dr Colin van Rensburg, a veterinarian from Radiokop, said that a toxin called aldicarb which contains carbamate, causes a continuous stimulation of the neuromuscular junction at the muscles, resulting in numerous symptoms.
• Owners should act as quickly as possible as the consequences of the toxin can be devastating, resulting in death.
• Typical symptoms would be: acute weakness, salivating, vomiting and diarrhoea, and sometimes seizures.
• The symptoms can start within 30 minutes after ingestion.
• There is no home remedy that can counteract this toxin, so owners should take their dog to a vet as soon as possible. Keeping an emergency vet’s telephone numbers handy is advised as, most often, these poisonings occur after hours.
• Treatment usually involves intravenous fluids at shock rates, an antidote in the form of atropine, and various other medications depending on the severity of the symptoms on presentation.
• If caught early, treatment can save 76 per cent or more of poisoned dogs.
• A good tip is for owners to train their dogs not to eat any food left lying around in the garden. One way would be to “booby trap” polony with red hot chillies or strong tobasco sauce which would be offensive for the dog to eat. If they have a few bad experience with treats like this left in the garden, they may learn to avoid any malicious toxin-containing treats. This should be done from a young age and any good dog trainer could give further advice to dog owners.
According to a clinical review, aldicarb is the commonly used canine poisoning in South Africa. It is usually formulated as small black granules and is registered for agricultural use in the country.
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