Tartar Emetic:
Symptoms: The proper dose varies from a quarter[1] of a grain to one and a half grains. The symptoms, the result of a large dose, are continued sickness, with violent retching, and often diarrhœa; great thirst; coldness of lips, ears, and limbs, with severe depression and weak pulse, difficult breathing, collapse, and death. Sometimes just before dying the patient may be much convulsed.
In cases of poisoning by tartar emetic, there is generally an absence of blood in the vomited matter and bowel evacuations, which is not the case in poisoning by arsenic, as blood is passed freely both ways.
Treatment: Give a copious draught of warm water, with the idea of washing the stomach out; this, of course, is almost immediately brought up. A few minutes afterwards give from five[1] to thirty grains of gallic acid in water, which repeat every time the dog is sick, and let the animal have barley water or white of egg beaten up in water to drink. If there is great collapse, inject brandy or ether, from fifteen[1] minims to one drachm, under the skin with a hypodermic syringe; keep the patient warm, and as quiet as possible. When large doses of tartar emetic have been given, there is very little hope of recovery.
Turpentine is rather a favourite antithelmintic, though it is not so much given for this purpose now as it used to be; but it is still a good deal used by some keepers, and when not carefully and sparingly administered often proves fatal, especially in young patients.
Symptoms: Convulsions; coma; heavy stertorous breathing, with pupils contracted. A great assistance in the diagnosing of these cases is the smell of the turpentine in the breath; the bladder is very irritable; the urine has the odour of violets, and is passed frequently.
Treatment: Give an emetic as soon as possible. The best in these cases, as in many others, is the apomorphia, from two[1] to five drops of the one in fifty solution, injected under the skin, or double the quantity poured down the throat. Failing this, give from five[1] to twenty grains of sulphate of zinc, in water, or some powdered ipecacuanha. When the effect of the emetic has passed, a full dose of sulphate of soda, from one[1] drachm to one ounce, in water, should be given. The dog may be allowed to drink milk or white of egg, with water or rice water.
When there is much pain about the abdomen, a morphia suppository inserted into the bowel gives relief.
Oxide of Zinc, either in the form of lotion, ointment, or the powder, is a household remedy, and an exceedingly good one, too, for many forms of non-contagious skin disease; but like almost everything else, when applied to the dog’s skin, he makes it his business to remove it with the tongue as quickly as possible. A small quantity does no harm; but when the ointment or lotion is applied over a large surface, and the dog licks a large quantity off, serious disturbances of the system often follow. Acute cases of this kind are not so fatal, as a rule, as chronic ones—that is, as in those cases of long-standing skin trouble when the zinc has been in daily use for some time, and the animal has been systematically licking it. In these cases the ill effects of the zinc are first noticed by the dog vomiting after food.