You can refer to the ASPCA toxins site or call the poison control hotline. If the substance ingested is, for example, chocolate, the toxic dose for your dog can be calculated based on their weight and the amount and type of chocolate consumed. Also, consult your veterinarian's office as they might direct you to call poison control.

Identifying the need for CPR can be difficult. By the time a patient requires CPR, if their heart has stopped or they're not breathing, there's little you can do at home. Signs include collapse, gums turning purple or blue, loss of pink color on the tongue, absence of breathing, limpness, and non-responsiveness. These are definite indications for CPR. Classes on pet first aid and CPR are available in local communities. I will tell you that the percentage of pets that can actually be saved by these procedures is relatively low, just like in humans, unfortunately. However, it is a good thing to know.

You'll know because you're observing them. Indications such as bleeding, limping, or clear cuts signal that first aid is necessary. A bone stuck on the lower jaw also requires immediate attention. If your dog appears to be choking, inspect their mouth for blockages. This should be done quickly as there's limited time for resuscitation if they lose their airway. If your dog's behavior isn't normal and mirrors a situation where a child would need first aid, it's likely that your dog needs first aid too.

Yes, there is a medication called dewormer. If you are using HeartGuard Plus, which we recommend, it contains a dewormer that will deworm your dog once a month. they are out in the environment, they are coming into contact with all kinds of things out here in full shirt. A lot of wildlife can transmit intestinal parasites in their feces and/or urine, so making sure your pet is on a monthly dewormer with their heartworm is a great idea. We also do annual fecal screenings to detect the presence of intestinal parasites.

I cannot tell you how many times these dogs have no symptoms. It's a routine health check that allows us to find out they’ve got hookworms, roundworms, or tapeworms on the rear end. The dog may have no symptoms, so that's why these tests are so important in annual exams.

You can prevent your dog from passing intestinal parasites on to other pets by cleaning up after them as soon as they have a defecation or bowel movement. By picking up their stool immediately, you can prevent the larvae from getting into the grass, especially if your dog has parasites like hookworms.

Yes, your indoor dog can still get intestinal parasites. Even though your dog is indoors, they come into contact with the outside environment when they go out for walks or to potty. They can get parasites like hookworms and roundworms from the grass or by ingesting a live flea. There are some intestinal parasites that are also contagious to people, so we need to be cautious about that. Dogs can get tapeworms when they ingest a live flea, so if your dog is an indoor dog, but they have tapeworms, that means that when they are going outside to go potty, fleas are getting on them and they're chewing at them and swallowing a live flea because that's the only way a dog can get a tapeworm.

Most dogs pick up intestinal parasites from either other dogs, the environment, or they might have them from their mothers.

Intestinal parasites can be prevented with environmental control, but it requires 100% effectiveness, which is quite challenging. While these parasites can be prevented and treated, it's going to be fairly hard.

Depending on your dog's temperament, you can either approach from the front or from behind. For dogs that are head shy, coming from behind the head and using a finger to drop the medication in can be more comfortable. Always reward them with a treat or praise afterwards to reinforce positive behavior.

Cherry eye is a condition where there's a third little eye gland that you usually can't see. This gland is there to help produce tears, and in some dogs, the ligament that holds it down in place can be a little stretchy, and the gland can pop out. Cherry eye is like this bright red gland. It'll look like there's a little red tumor right here on your dog's eye. They are typically not bothersome to the dog as long as they're not traumatized. They can traumatize them, in which case they need to come in and have meds, and you'll know because it'll be even redder or even bleeding. It can be surgically repaired. It's recommended to not remove the gland as it can lead to dry eye later in life. Surgery performed by a veterinary ophthalmologist to tack the gland back down has a better prognosis.