Salt Poisoning in Dogs
In the unfortunate event that a dog consumes too much salt, they will most likely drink water to combat the effects and no damage will occur. However, there may be cases where the dog does not have access to water and the cells in their body will start to release water to even out the levels of salt in the blood. This is a bad scenario because it creates neurological symptoms like dizziness, headache, and seizures.
Too much salt in the blood is known as hypernatremia. This can cause the muscles to lose moisture, shrivel, and become stiff, causing shaking and jerking. Please note that the most severe symptoms of salt poisoning are neurological. What sodium does is causes the brain cells to dry out due to the release of water from the cells used to dilute the salt in the bloodstream.
Yes, we understand that salt is a natural substance that your dog needs. However, it is obvious that too much of it can be fatal. Sodium toxicity is caused by the essential par of your dog’s metabolic system. There are many signs of salt poisoning in dogs:
- Coma
- Death
- Headache
- High fever
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Walking like intoxicated
- Weakness
- Extreme thirst and urination
As we mentioned above, salt poisoning can occur if your dog eats too much of it and they have no fresh water to drink. Also, the consumption of many items that may be found around the house can cause salt poisoning – homemade play dough, rock salt, soy sauce, or table salt.
How can your dog recover from salt poisoning? Your veterinarian will probably suggest a diet low in sodium. It is especially important to keep the level of sodium in your dog’s blood under control. The good news is that you can prevent all of this by being proactive. Ensure that your dog isn’t consuming mass amounts of salt and keep items with salt out of reach.
