Unfortunately, most of our pets don’t speak our language and that can make it difficult to provide the care that we would like them to have at times. No time is more serious than a time of illness and possibly one of the more serious is poisoning.

When dealing with some varieties of poisoning time is essential in getting your pet the care that may make the difference between lasting harm and minor discomfort. We’ll discuss a number of different warning signs that you can be vigilant for to alert you that what is wrong may be poisoning.

Mouth

Most commonly the mouth is the entry-way for any form of poison that you pet may come in contact with. Thankfully the warning signs are usually rather noticeable and easy to identify. The first is simply excess saliva. If your pet is drooling more than usual or excessively then you may want to take a closer look at them. If think you recognize any of these symptoms please go ahead and verify the others and use your head.

The next symptom associated with the mouth is again rather obvious to spot. This symptom is vomit. Often you can not only identify the possibility of poison simply by the presence of vomit, but you can sometimes identify the poison’s source within the vomit. Think about the situation and identify uncommon elements in the vomit and then check for other symptoms.

Behavior

If your pet is displaying a change in behavior, it may be poisoning. The easiest, often times, to recognize a change in are simply standing and walking ability. If you notice a significant change in these do not hesitate to check for the other symptoms. Some other less common "motor skills" are sounding, gas, attitude or personality. If your pet is belching or hacking these could be signs or symptoms of poisoning. If your pet’s sounding (barking, mewing, etc.) changes, especially if it becomes frantic, that also could be a symptom or sign of poisoning. Lastly, avoidance or apprehension, or any change in interaction or personality, could be a sign of poisoning. Please, do not hesitate to check for other symptoms.

Stomach

If when you pick up your pet, the pet reacts with an unusual sensitivity that could be a sign of poisoning. Generally, this may be the last symptom that you check when you are verifying signs for poisoning. Also, you can check for sensitivity by lightly pressing on the abdomen. Take care not to apply pressure to the ribs or too much pressure to the abdomen.

If you think that, your pet is suffering from poisoning then contact your veterinarian immediately or the appropriate local emergency hotline or contact. With poisoning time is of the essence and you may want to ask your veterinarian about what emergency action is appropriate for you to take in the event that poisoning ever does occur.