My dog’s ordeal with organophosphate (dog dip) poisoning
Mar 29 '06
The Bottom Line Organophosphate (or Organic Phosphate) poisoning can be extremely difficult to diagnose. Pet owners should suspect this poisoning if their pet exhibits the sudden odd behavior listed in this article.
Note: If you'd like to skip my ordeal and go straight to the symptoms and informational links below, I understand. Despite the fact this article is very lengthy, it doesn't compare to the real life, minute by minute agony my dog and my family suffered. I wrote this to alert people to the dangers flea and tick dip can pose if not handled properly.
It began simply enough as a trip to the groomer back in September. My parents and I scooped up our dogs and carried them to the groomer we'd used for years. We both have Maltese (they have a girl, I have the boy) so they're not very sizable dogs. I should also note that we check our dogs for fleas and ticks regularly. There should have been no reason for either dog to have been introduced to the dog dip in any respect.
A brief rundown on the groomer we used. In the early days, the two worked out of their garage with a bathtub for bathing, two grooming tables and cages for pets. After a few years, they moved to a strip mall, hired half a dozen more people, and the cages went unused. They began to allow the dogs to mingle on the floor. That always bothered us and we specifically asked if they'd cage our Maltese. They agreed to. Over the many trips to the groomer, I've seen Pomeranian puppies scurrying between the legs of Standard Poodles, and Chows running about with Yorkies. As we all know, dogs, like people, have different personalities. My Maltese is inquisitive, not aggressive, but I can see how a strange dog might misinterpret his actions. I have a nosy dog, I know that. My parents Maltese is passive and very ho-hum about most things. Neither are problem pups. When we picked the dogs up, neither were in a cage (as the groomer promised) but were running around the floor with all the other dogs.
Late the same week we had them groomed, mine developed bloody diarrhea. Well, there's never a vet around on Friday afternoon – we've learned that much – so luckily my mother had some medicine for the diarrhea. It stopped that symptom.
It was Sunday afternoon I noticed my dog's back end "wobble" slightly when he stood. Initially, I blew it off to a pulled muscle since he plays so much. Between grooming day and Sunday, a cool front swept in but it wasn't cold enough for a heavy coat. At 5:30, my folks took the dogs outside for their business. It wasn't a full minute when my mother charged into the house with Sid in her arms saying he froze up like a statue outside. If it was weather related, I could understand, but the temperature was in the upper 50s.
His symptoms
* By Monday morning Sid staggered when he walked and couldn't sit down without his entire body wobbling and twitching uncontrollably. The best way to describe it is this: It looked as though he'd developed a severe case of Parkinson's overnight.
* He's a dog that sits up to beg. When he tried this, he fell onto his back.
* He loves to throw his toys and chase them. When he tried now, he'd throw the toy, run after it but run sideways and miss the toy entirely.
* His head pulled to the right as if the muscles atrophied during the night.
* He walked sideways everywhere he went.
* His head bobbed to and fro like the neck muscles resisted any attempt for stability. I had to hold him and hand feed him – something the energetic imp wouldn't dream of allowing just a few days earlier.
* If he got excited over anything (company or noises), his body seized up and his right paw drew up to his body.
* He twitched all the time like things constantly bit him.
* His pupils were non-responsive.
All this transpired overnight. It felt more like a lifetime. The next few hours felt like a second lifetime until we could see the vet. My parents, God love 'em, knew I was a veritable basketcase and they really weren't any better. They'd worried over him like I had, and we'd all searched the internet for answers and found nothing. We all went together to see what caused this horrendous change in my little Maltese.
At the vet we explained all the symptoms and he thought Sid might have a bad infection. He prescribed Cipro, we took Sid home and attempted the impossible. Giving my dog a pill is akin to bathing a cat. You work for it and when it's over, you really, really wished there was an easier way. We gave him two Cipro over the course a day and his problem continued to worsen.
On Tuesday we took Sid back. This time we gave the vet a typewritten list of Sid's symptoms, just to make sure we documented every change in him. The vet read the list, shook his head, and announced he wanted a blood test. Now here's a problem. Even with the grievous state Sid was in, he still possessed plenty of vinegar in his fight. I'm also convinced English is his second language. Upon hearing that needles were involved, my Maltese transformed into an alley cat. He proceeded to slash and claw his way up my body and past my face. He recognized the fact shoulders could be used to catapult his way to freedom. This did not happen, of course. Between my mother and father and myself, we managed to literally peel him from around my neck and head.
The vet and his assistant tried for several agonizing minutes to draw blood from his arm then switched to his neck. Meanwhile, my blood sank to my toes because Sid kept whimpering, reaching for me and leveling a look on me accusing me of traitorous behavior. The vet ultimately determined he'd have to sedate my pup. OK, I was prepared for, say, a shot of Valium. I didn't realize the vet meant anesthetize him. I'm emotionally strong to a certain extent as all human beings are. However when it's someone you love, even a pet, it affects you to the point your heart literally aches. I'd lost my grandmother in early 2002, my sweet little elderly Shih-Tzu exactly a year later and I was scared this mystery illness would take Sid from me. It's hard to hold yourself together at a point so I stepped out for the procedure. After all, they had no beds for unconscious pet owners.
We waited overnight for the results. Thankfully Sid got no worse but he certainly didn't improve either. I can't put into words how excruciating this ordeal was. The majority of my time was spent watching this energetic dog struggle with the usually minor task of standing still. We'd worried for days and now had another 12 to 24 hours to wait until the vet called with the results.
The blood test results: It showed nothing wrong so we were back to square one. We started from the beginning, once more mentioning the symptoms appeared after his grooming. This information must have gelled somewhere with the vet because he said it could be organic phosphate (or organophosphate) poisoning. Considering the back yard is not fertilized (only the front yard), we drew a blank as to the cause. When the vet explained that fertilizers and dog dip contained this insecticide, we narrowed it down. My dog licks his feet – a habit of his I keep trying to break. Though we had no conclusive evidence, we figured that maybe he'd walked through dog dip at the groomer and, as he licked his feet, it slowly poisoned his system. As I said, we didn't really know. We just fit the timing together with what we did know.
10:30 a.m. (After the phone call) As per the vet's instructions, we hustled Sid back for an Atropine shot. We would see how that worked, if it did at all. We were to bring him back after seven to eight hours for another shot. My parent's dog is diabetic so between the three of us, we all know how to give insulin shots. The vet let us bring the shots home and give them if Sid needed them. After the first shot, Sid perked up and began to walk a little straighter after only a few hours. His head wasn't as wobbly and neither were his knees. All in all, we gave two other shots – one that night and one the next morning about nine.
I'm ecstatically happy to report Sid is doing excellent now. We changed groomers and strangely enough, upon our second visit she told us how several people had left the old groomer in favor of her. She said a few of those clients reported the same symptoms with their dogs and sadly, two or three of the dogs died.
* It's important to note that dog dip can stay in the fur up to 21 days if the dog isn't bathed again. Unfortunately this defeats the purpose of using the dip. If you do use a groomer, my suggestion is this: Though it may seem paranoid (I prefer cautious), wash your dog's feet thoroughly then dry them once you get them home, most especially if they have a propensity for licking their feet. Also, to reduce the chance of problems, make sure your groomer cages your pet - particularly if your dog is inquisitive like mine.
Helpful Links
Here are some informative links on the subject.
http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/pesticides/ec2505.htm#oci
This site describes symptoms of organophosphate poisoning in humans as:
Mild exposures to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides include:
* headache, fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite with nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea;
* blurred vision associated with excessive tearing;
* contracted pupils of the eye;
* excessive sweating and salivation;
* slowed heartbeat, often fewer than 50 per minute;
* rippling of surface muscles just under the skin.
These symptoms may be mistaken for those of flu, heat stroke or heat exhaustion, or upset stomach.
Moderately severe organophosphate and carbamate insecticide poisoning cases exhibit all the signs and symptoms found in mild poisonings, but in addition, the victim:
* is unable to walk;
* often complains of chest discomfort and tightness;
* exhibits marked constriction of the pupils (pinpoint pupils);
* exhibits muscle twitching;
* has involuntary urination and bowel movement.
Severe poisonings are indicated by incontinence, unconsciousness and seizures.
The order in which these symptoms appear may vary, depending on how contact is made with the pesticide. If the product is swallowed, stomach and other abdominal manifestations commonly appear first; if it is absorbed through the skin, gastric and respiratory symptoms tend to appear at the same time.
Fortunately, good antidotes are available for victims of organophosphate or carbamate poisoning at emergency treatment centers, hospitals, and many physicians' offices. As with all pesticide poisonings, time is extremely critical. If a pesticide is swallowed, obtain prompt medical treatment. If a dermal exposure has occurred, remove contaminated clothing, wash exposed skin and seek medical care.
(Believe me, the signs in dogs are very similar as you read above.)
http://www.krpc.com/proffed/op%5Cop.cfm
Excellent informational site! Give this one a look.
http://path.upmc.edu/cases/case83/history.html
This site discusses the case of a child ingesting flea/tick dip. It turns out that organophosphate poisoning is sometimes difficult to diagnose in humans as well.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2001/109p1109-1114boone/EHP109p1109PDF.PDF
This site is a bit technical but very enlightening.
http://www.urbanhound.com/houndHealth/fleaProducts.html
Also a good site. So good I'll quote from them:
“Almost all flea products can be toxic if they are not used the way they're meant to be. Cats are especially sensitive to many of the compounds found in flea products, but dogs and puppies can run into problems too. Dipping your dog several days in a row with a dip that's meant to be used only once every two weeks, spraying your dog with a product that's meant for the house (a premise spray), or using sprays, dips, and spot-ons all at the same time could poison your dog's nervous system. So read the directions carefully. Make sure you have the right dose for your dog's weight and age. Don't apply flea products more often than needed. Double-check to see if they can be used in combination with other products. And if you're hosing down the house with a flea spray or fogger, clear everyone out of the house (including people, dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, birds, and so on), put the dog dishes where they won't get sprayed, stay out of the house for as long as the label recommends, and open the windows to air out the house when you return.
It's best to talk with your vet before you begin an ambitious de-fleaing campaign. And, of course, if your dog acts strangely, shakes, drools, vomits, or has diarrhea after you've used a flea product, call your vet immediately.”
I hope this article helps to inform as well as forewarn. Thank you for taking time to read it! It is most appreciated!
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