Antifreeze Toxicity

As fall approaches and we prepare to winterize our cars we must remember to NEVER leave antifreeze laying around-not even for a few minutes. Antifreeze is sweet and pets like the way it tastes, but it is deadly. If you see your pet ingest antifreeze please call the hospital immediately. We will attempt to induce your pet to vomit and if that fails we will administer an antidote. Unfortunately, the antidote only works if administered within the first 4-8 hours of ingesting the antifreeze. Often times owners are unaware that their pet has ingested the antifreeze until the pet starts to show symptoms the next day, and by then it is too late to administer the antidote. Initial symptoms include trouble breathing and coughing, followed by nervous system signs like twitching, trembling and seizures, and finally drinking and urinating excessively as the animalıs kidneys start to fail.

I once saw a case where a Chow Chowıs owners had emptied antifreeze from their car into a garbage can lid, then properly discarded the antifreeze from the lid and set the lid out in a field. It rained that night and the lid filled with water, which the dog lapped up the next morning. The owners assumed that such a small, diluted amount of antifreeze would not cause their dog any harm. Unfortunately, even this small amount of antifreeze was deadly to the dog.

There are brands of antifreeze available nowadays that are non-toxic to children and pets. Check the labels at the store-if the product is toxic it should be clearly marked on the bottle. And remember, when it comes to antifreeze, you can never be too safe!