Carbon monoxide poisoning isrampant in the US,especially during the winter when every household uses all means possible to keep warm. Most times, people keep their pets inside the house while they go about their work or daily chores, which leaves them exposed to these kinds of accidents.
If you’re looking into carbon monoxide poisoning, then chances are that you are trying to keep your dog safe, or you’re worried that your dogs have been exposed. What are the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning in dogs? Let’s find out.
What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
First, to understand carbon monoxide poisoning, let’s define what carbon monoxide is. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that occurs when fuel doesn’t combust completely to form carbon dioxide (CO2).
As opposed to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide gas is toxic to any living thing. Because of its odorless, tasteless and colorless nature, carbon monoxide has been termed the “silent killer” since it is hard to detect when it leaks into your environment.
Carbon monoxide poisoning in dogs happens when they inhale this toxic gas for an extended time so that the gas is absorbed into blood cells. This isn’t an everyday occurrence as there’s plenty of oxygen around. Most poisoning happens due to human error. For instance, someone leaving the car running in an indoor garage can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
When carbon monoxide is absorbed into the bloodstream, it combines with hemoglobin forming carboxyhemoglobin, which hinders oxygen supply to the brain and heart. Severe exposure to carbon monoxide will result in hypoxemia and eventually death.
How Can a Dog Get Exposed to Carbon Monoxide?
A dog can get exposed to carbon monoxide if they’re enclosed in a space with burning materials. Households may be using fuel-burning appliances and machines such as gas stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, generators, wood stoves, and cars that can produce this gas if placed in a poorly ventilated area. Smaller animals are more likely to suffer from a high carbon monoxide exposure mainly due to their small lung capacities.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the ideal CO levels should be the same indoors and outdoors. If there’s more concentration of carbon monoxide indoors, then you may have an additional source of the gas somewhere inside your house or a close source causing a carbon monoxide leak into it.
You could also have similar problems when enjoying outdoor activities such as hunting or camping, especially if you use appliances such as charcoal grills, propane heaters, portable generators, gas appliances, and fuel-burning lanterns in an enclosed space.
You need a carbon monoxide detector in houses and RVs prone to this kind of exposure for you, your family, and your pets.
How to Protect Your Dog From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The first level of protection should be identifying any possible risks that may cause a carbon monoxide leak. Identify where your fuel-burning appliances are and introduce a good ventilation system in those rooms.
The second line of defense is ensuring your appliances are well maintained and inspected by a relevant qualified contractor. Next is to identify signs of potential carbon monoxide exposure.
Look out for:
- When burning fuel, your chimney should show signs of air movement to get rid of carbon monoxide. If there’s no air movement, then this is a red flag
- Excess condensation on your home’s surfaces such as windows and walls
- If you’re using flame-producing stoves (gas or electric), look out for a yellow flame – stove flames should be blue
- Sooty marks and buildup in and around fuel-burning appliances
- In a power outage, refrain from using outdoor devices in your house – anything from barbeque grills, firewood, camp stoves, and portable generators should be used outside where there’s an unlimited supply of oxygen.
Other Carbon Monoxide Prevention Tips
- Ensure that the batteries to your carbon monoxide alarm are working at all times
- Have your flues and vents cleared of any debris at least once every three months
- Always switch off your vehicle when you get home, don’t leave the motor running
- Don’t use outdoor appliances indoors
Common Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Dogs
Your dog will exhibit these symptoms if exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide for a prolonged time.
- General body weakness
- Drowsiness
- Uncoordinated movements
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Red lips, ears, and gums
- Collapse
Remember that carbon monoxide kills silently, and you may be exposed to low levels of the gas for a long time before noticing a problem. Your dog getting sick will most likely be the first indication that something is wrong in your home.
Treatment for Carbon Monoxide poisoning in Dogs
The first treatment is to try and get oxygen in them as soon as you suspect exposure, so move them in an open space away from any possible carbon monoxide leaks.
Feel for a heartbeat. If you can’t feel any, try resuscitation methods if you’re trained to do so. These are just first aid methods, and if the situation is dire, have emergency pet services on call. Once stable, get to a vet facility as soon as possible so that they can further test and treat your dog.
Your vet will analyze your dog’s condition to determine levels of exposure, and your dog will most likely be treated with oxygen therapy to stabilize the oxygen levels in their blood. They may then conduct a blood analysis to determine the level of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Your vet may also introduce fluids intravenously into your dog because oxygen deprivation makes the blood acidic, and adding liquid dilutes the acidity and stabilizes your blood’s pH levels.
If your dog still has difficulty breathing, the vet may recommend respiratory support to raise blood oxygen levels. For severe exposure cases, your pet may need to be hospitalized until they feel better. Extended oxygen loss in the brain can cause adverse effects, which the vet will closely check and treat.
Final thoughts
Pets are more like adopted children these days, and pet owners try to give them a high quality of life even as they make our lives more lively. Exposure to raised levels of carbon monoxide can rob us of our favorite pets. This article serves as a way to create awareness of the existence of this problem and possible ways to solve them in case you notice signs of carbon monoxide poisoning in dogs.
