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:: Poisons and Antidotes ::
CIDAG
gratefully acknowledges SPAZ for allowing the following information on
poisoning and poison antidotes to be published on this
website
WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU FIND A POISONED ANIMAL
1. WHAT KINDS OF POISONS ARE COMMONLY USED IN GREECE:
Insecticides, warfarin (rat poison) and ground glass -
mixed with strong tasting
foods - canned pet food, sausages, and raw meat; ground glass is usually
mixed with ground meat. These
poisons cause incredible pain to the animal. The first two have
antidotes; ground glass has none (Strychnine is not included as it is
not on sale in Greece)
2.
HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT AN ANIMAL HAS BEEN POISONED.
HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS:
Organo-phosphate poisoning (insecticides - liquid or powder) - salivating at the mouth, excessive tears, diarrhea, constriction of the pupil, muscle twitching, asthmatic breathing, trembling, convulsion and coma.
Treatment: Get the animal to a vet as soon as possible. To give the animal the best chance of surviving, however, you should learn to administer first aid.
1. Induce vomiting: give salt or baking soda dissolved in lukewarm water into the mouth (30/60cc solution). After vomiting, activated carbon tablets will delay absorption of poison, but they're hard to find in Greece.
WARNING - if animal shows signs of nervousness
such as trembling, staggering or collapsing, do not attempt an emetic as
it can cause inhalation pneumonia.
Continue to the next step instead.
2. Give an injection of atropine (1 vial for a cat or small dog, 2 to 3 vials for larger dogs) - injected into the vein (absorbed most quickly), into the muscle (absorbed less quickly) or under the skin (slowest absorption).
Warfarin (Rat poison) - Sometimes, there will be no symptoms for 2 to 3 days. Then red/purple/dark blue patches appear on body or gums, a sign of internal bleeding. Gums will be very pale in colour. Warfarin damages the clotting mechanism and the animal can also haemorrhage from the nose, mouth, penis, vagina or rectum as well as internally.
Treatment: Konakion
(Vitamin K) injection to help clot the blood, 5-20 mg, depending on size
and weight of animal
Ground Glass - the deadliest of all methods with no antidote. However, it is essential to get the animal to a vet as soon as possible to try and save its life.
IMPORTANT: An animal that has been poisoned with
insecticides or ground glass is very sensitive to light and noise so
protect it from both; this is not the case with Warfarin. However, you
may not be aware of what poison has been used so to be safe, always keep
animal covered and as quiet and comfortable as possible when
transporting it to a vet.
3.
IF
THE ANIMAL HAS DIED, YOU CAN STILL DO SOMETHING!
Greek Law No. 1197 (1981): “Whoever kills, harasses
or ill-treats animals covered by the present legislation, or abandons
them is punishable by Article 8 of the penal code.”
Greek Law No. 2017 (1992) says: “No one should
subject an animal to pointless pain, suffering or distress. No one
should abandon a pet.”
The implementation of this law lies with the Interior Ministry (i.e. the municipalities) and the Public Order Ministry (i.e. the police). You should, therefore, report the poisoning to the police and the mayor’s office. You do not need to know who poisoned these animals; file a report against unknown persons (minesi ep’agnostou). A toxicology report and vet’s statement can be used as evidence; insist that your report be put in the log book!
You should also report this to your local vet and animal welfare group, with photographs when possible.
If you know who poisoned the animals, you can prosecute.
The evidence needed:
statement from a witness, b) name and address of the poisoner, c) toxicology report of the cause of death from the University of Athens toxicology dept. Outside of Athens ask police for the nearest officially recognized laboratory. If ground glass was used, a sample from the animal’s stomach can be used instead of a report.
4.
HOW
TO AVOID ANIMALS BEING POISONED:
* Neuter your neighbourhood strays so that new victims
are not born.
* Do not put puppies on the street; they will not
survive; try to find homes for them.
* Neuter your own pets to prevent unwanted puppies and
kittens being born; many abandoned animals
come from homes. Who abandons them? Not the mother!
* Protect your own animal. Animals have been poisoned
inside their own yards or while on a
walk
* Do not abandon your pet; it is against the law; it will not survive on the street; it will probably be poisoned.
5. YOU CAN TAKE ACTION IF YOU SEE SOMEONE PUTTING DOWM POISON BAIT:
Try to find someone else to witness it with you. Gather the poisoned food and take to the toxicologist for analysis. Report this incident to the police within 24 hours. If you can, give the name and address of the poisoner. This case can go before a public prosecutor within 48 hours (aftoforo in Greek).
6.
YOU
CAN ALSO TAKE ACTION IF SOMEONE THREATENS TO POISON AN ANIMAL:
Report threat to the police.
It is helpful to have a witness (not related to you).
Give the name and address of the person threatening (if known) and ask
the police officer to visit him/her as a warning. If it is not your own
pet but a stray that has been threatened, tell the police you are a
member of an animal welfare group, that the animals are looked after,
neutered and vaccinated and pose no threat to the neighbourhood. Insist
that your report be recorded!
Report the threat to the mayor’s office as well.
CASE STUDY:
In Sept 2002, an anonymous person put up posters in Kavouri that
stated: “Notice to the
female animal lovers of the neighbourhood. Due to the fact that the
situation is over the top, in the name of the law and for the protection
of the public, if you do not collect your stray animals within three
days, we are going to take the law into our own hands. Citizens of the
neighbourhood.”
The following action was taken: report to the police and the local mayor’s office; visit to local hotels to inform them of the danger. The police said they would monitor the area. A notice was posted in the neighbourhood warning people about the threat and suggesting they take extra care with their dogs and children. Nine dogs had been poisoned a week before so this threat was taken very seriously. One dog was autopsied and the poison was identified as a liquid insecticide that dries to a clear crystal state and smells slightly sweet. Death is slow and agonizing.
7. BE PREPARED!
Carry a first aid kit with you: bottled water, package of salt, atropine and syringes and a copy of this brochure. Put these things in a plastic bag and in your purse and/or car. Talk to your vet about how to administer first aid and what amounts to give. It can save your pet’s life.
Teach children that poisoning is a terrible crime.
Let us try to stop people murdering animals.
Thanks
to Carol McBeth of GAWF, Angel Fleming of Frontida Zoon and
SPAZ,
Society for the Protection of Stray Animals, P.O. Box 70213, 16610,
Glyfada, Athens, Greece
This brochure was sponsored by the RSPCA (UK) and written by Elizabeth Koubena for SPAZ, with Greek translation by Chryssa Athanasiadou
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