Beware asthma inhalers

[moe]

I can now post about this as there is a good ending,

The other day Savannah managed to get hold of my asthma inhaler and destroyed it, in doing this she ingested the stuff inside, she became very lethargic, so I called the vets, the vet doubted wether she had actually inhaled the gas as it exited the little pressurised cannister, but I said she is not herself so she must have gotten some of it, the vet although polite gave me the impression I was being a bit over worried for something or nothing, but I left with the instructions that if there are any further developements apart from the "depressed" attitude then I am to get back on the phone to them again. so about an hour later, she was lay on the floor and her whole body was shaking with every heart beat, I could actually see her heart beating very very fast, then her front legs sort of shook, and her under belly which is still like a puppies (not too much hair) went bright pink on further investigation all her skin was this colour, so I phoned the vets and they said to get her to the emergency office straight away as they have more equipment there, so off we go, I drove like a bat out of hell. I get to the emergency vets, and the vet takes us in straight away, check Savannah heart and said yes it was too rapid and that she needs to be admitted and put on fluids and have bloods taken to check her potassium, if that drops too far she is in real trouble, so I had to leave her in their hands, I was worried to death, but thanksfully tonight I got her back, she has shaved patches on her leg from the IV etc, but boy she was as glad to see me as I was to see her. the vet told me that I was right to bring her in the way I did as it was life threatening, and her potassium did drop quite a lot which effects the heart, but thankfully she has come through, and no lasting damage. I have only been able to post this now as I didnt think she would pull through and I didnt want to jinx her chances. so tonight she gets special priveledges and gets to sit next to me on the sofa.

Mo

 

[poodlesmom]

Oh no, how scary! I'm glad to hear that Savannah has recovered thanks to your vigilance and the care of the e-vet!

Thanks for sharing & alerting all of us who also have inhalers so that we are all aware how dangerous they are for our furpals!

 

[bubbatd]

How frightening for you !!! I really have to watch Ollie, as he is the first dog I've ever had that will " find things" ...I can see him doing that. When my female , I.B. , was having seizures and was literally going out of her mind due to a brain tumor...she took a lighter off a coffee table and I didn't know it until I heard a hiss from the gas. Luckily no harm .

 

[fillyone]

I'm glad Savannah is going to be ok.
Here's another similar to yours. (Not my dog, belongs to an acquaintance)


Our baby Boxer boy delights in stealing things like avocados, bananas, socks, bras and tennis shoes despite the fact he has numerous toys, bones and balls. Usually I see him, head held high in delight, runaway with these items and thus I retrieve them quickly. However yesterday, he got what his puppy eyes spied as a new "goodie" but one that turned out to cause him, and us, much distress. Here is what happened.

On Tuesday evening, after our family walk in the park, I placed my wallet and asthma inhaler in the center of our large dining room table on the decorative runner. On Wednesday morning I was working in my office when I heard a whoosh and saw Star come running as she usually does when Ace gets into something he should not. (Yes, she tattles on him, thank goodness.) Ace had slid the table runner down and snagged my inhaler. He took it to the living room where he punctured the canister and expelled the medicine into his face and mouth. The whites of his eyes turned blood red and he began shaking. I rushed him to Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Sulis. The vet found Ace's heart rate had soared to 183 beats per minute (bpm) whereas a normal canine heart rate is about 100 or lower depending on the individual. Dr. Sulis phoned the ASPCA animal poison hotline and their instructions necessitated Ace's admission to Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Clackamas which is a critical care facility that also offers 24 hour emergency service whereby he would be monitored throughout the night. Upon arrival the vet quickly started an IV and the medication propanolol to bring down his heart rate. Kent and I were asked to go home and wait for news. Late that afternoon the vet phoned to say that Ace had improved but his heart bpm still fluctuated between 140 and 160. A heart beating this rapidly does not fill properly with blood so it is a very serious medical situation. Our big sweet boy was put on heart and respiratory watch all night.

Although we diligently puppy proofed our home we now realize that we have to be even more cognizant of our most benign actions. Ace is much different than our little Boxer girl Star. Growing up she never got into or tore up anything. She was a perfect little lady puppy. Ace, however, is all boy - curious, confident, boisterous and very oral - everything goes into his mouth. Not to mention that he is big (71 lbs.) and tall. He uses those Boxer paws to reach "goodies" on counters, tops of bookcases, dining room tables, etc. He often inspects Kent's briefcase for water bottles or apples. I was considering, in honor of his one year birthday tomorrow, trusting him in the house and out of his crate when we are not home. Well, that is not going to happen for some time. The command "off" combined with lots of praise is going to be a key word in our household going forward.

Dr. Low, the critical care vet who first treated Ace at the hospital told us that albuterol toxicity is a fairly common occurrence with pets. It comes with the increase of respiratory disease in humans and the need to have these inhalers on hand. One never thinks that an inhaler would be such an attractive draw as a plaything or so potentially deadly. I have attached a link to an article on albuterol toxicity and treatment from the ASPCA website. Please email this link to your friends who have companion animals. Sharing knowledge and experience helps keep other "fur kids" safe.

At 6:00 p.m. yesterday we went back to the hospital to take Ace his dinner, his blanket and stuffed turtle pillow. We gave him lots of hugs, kisses and took him for a walk. Those of you who know how dedicated we are to excellent nutrition will get a chuckle out of this next sentence. The vet suggested they feed him Iams or Science Diet. I declined, firmly but graciously. Before we departed that evening we learned his heart rate remained between 140 and 160 bpm.


It is so difficult having one of our "kids" ill and away from home. Linda stayed up after midnight to call one more time to check Ace's progress before going to bed and we were up early this morning anxious for news that he could come home. And he did. We picked him up at 9:30 this morning. His heart rate has stabilized at 110 which is normal for a big excitable Boxer puppy. We are all exhausted but thankful that our family is whole and well again.

All our best,

Linda, Kent, Star and Ace

 

[bubbatd]

So glad there was a happy ending !!

 

[Violet21]

Wow thats so freaky!

I am glad your dogs are okay, thats so weird last nite i stayed at my friends and left my inhaler on his counter, and said, is that ok? and hes like, no best put it in the cupboard cuz he has a grabby dog but I had no idea it could be so serious! I have 3 cats and my golden zac at home, I will def be putting them out of their reach inside a cupboard or drawer from now on!!