# EMERGENCY dog ate copper bolus



## milkmaid

40# dog got 1cc (enough for 50# goat). Silly dog eats everything.
Will she be okay? Is there anything I should do? I don't know how much copper dogs can tolerate. I know if she were a goat she'd be fine, as goats can tolerate much more than the dosage.


----------



## cheyenne

I would try calling a vet and ask them. I have no idea!


----------



## Naunnie

I agree. Contact a Vet. I would be concerned about liver damage.


----------



## happybleats

I agree...call your vet!


----------



## milk and honey

I had a 200 lb pig eat one for my cow! Thankfully, nothing happened! Hope all is OK for doggy too!


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## milkmaid

Thanks everyone. Called the vet, and he said it will probably be okay. He also said that if it hadn't been too long I could give her peroxide to make her throw up. I didn't even think of making her throw up. :doh: I wish I had.
I think it's been too long now.
We'll just keep our eyes open for copper poisoning, and if she shows signs will give her dolomite and vitamin C, and get her to the vet.


----------



## Naunnie

I hope she will be okay. What breed is she? Did the Vet tell you what signs to look for? I ask because it may take some time for symptoms to show. Some breeds are more prone to copper poisoning than others. Hopefully, you have better luck than me. Seems like if I really need a Vet...it's after hours, week-ends or holidays.


----------



## toth boer goats

Copper releases slowly with the rods, it may help if the vet said to do it.


----------



## glndg

Milk thistle is good for combatting some toxins that affect the liver (like mushrooms.) I don't know if it would help in the case of copper toxicity. You could ask your vet. It's use is pretty mainstream now - a friend had some vet prescription with it in it.


----------



## toth boer goats

How is your dog today?


----------



## chuckles

milkmaid said:


> 40# dog got 1cc (enough for 50# goat). Silly dog eats everything.
> Will she be okay? Is there anything I should do? I don't know how much copper dogs can tolerate. I know if she were a goat she'd be fine, as goats can tolerate much more than the dosage.


I'm thinking this would be a question for your vet.


----------



## milkmaid

Pam, she's doing well today, no sign of jaundice and feeling fine. Of course since it releases slowly, we'll have to watch for like 3-4 months.


----------



## goathiker

I don't think it will be that long to have to watch. You're talking about some of the strongest stomach acid that exists, designed to digest bone whole. 
One of the biggest dangers of a dog eating pennies is that his stomach acid quickly dissolves the copper coating and lets out the zinc core, which, the zinc is what poisons the dog. 
More than likely most, if all, of those tiny little rods and powder has already been dissolved and dealt with.


----------



## milkmaid

Thanks Goathiker! By the way, I love your signature, makes me laugh every time!


----------



## Trickyroo

Happy to hear there hasn't been any ill effects !
What a scare !


----------



## dian_na

Trickyroo said:


> Happy to hear there hasn't been any ill effects !
> What a scare !


This post is really old but is your dog still ok? Mine ate a kid bulus copper. She's a healer acts fine. I gave her 3 slices of bread . She pounced right on that and ate it like it wad a steak!


----------



## Goat_Scout

@dian_na - A couple months ago our 1 year old Border Collie got into the little container that held our kid (2g each capsule) copper boluses. It was almost completely full and there were definitely a few missing when I gathered the remaining ones up. I thought nothing of it, and he was completely fine.


----------



## dian_na

Goat_Scout said:


> @dian_na - A couple months ago our 1 year old Border Collie got into the little container that held our kid (2g each capsule) copper boluses. It was almost completely full and there were definitely a few missing when I gathered the remaining ones up. I thought nothing of it, and he was completely fine.


Thank you! I have a new young buck and For a moment all I managed to give copper to was the dog and a goose both snatched em up quick! I think the goose will pass it quick nothing stays in their gut longer than 20 mins but the dog I eas scared. I did finally get it in the buck the little twit would look back at mr n curl his lip up. Got him in the pen and he also liked that piece of bread stuffed with copper


----------



## Goat_Scout

dian_na said:


> Thank you! I have a new young buck and For a moment all I managed to give copper to was the dog and a goose both snatched em up quick! I think the goose will pass it quick nothing stays in their gut longer than 20 mins but the dog I eas scared. I did finally get it in the buck the little twit would look back at mr n curl his lip up. Got him in the pen and he also liked that piece of bread stuffed with copper


LOL! Bucks are the best.


----------



## ratfarm

Well, dang. Every oddball goat Google question I have brings me to this forum. 8)

Just had my pyrenees eat an adult copper bolus. I mixed it into a cup of yogurt thinking the goats would finally take it nicely but not even that could persuade them... Set it on the tractor and turned around to do selenium gel and she managed to grab it as stealthy as could be. X(

Any other stories of dogs being fine after eating copper boluses?! She's our only competent farm dog (sorry, other pups) and I can't afford the emergency vet right now. I did just get a low-pay position as a vet greeter and can ask the docs during business hours, though.


----------



## dian_na

ratfarm said:


> Well, dang. Every oddball goat Google question I have brings me to this forum. 8)
> 
> Just had my pyrenees eat an adult copper bolus. I mixed it into a cup of yogurt thinking the goats would finally take it nicely but not even that could persuade them... Set it on the tractor and turned around to do selenium gel and she managed to grab it as stealthy as could be. X(
> 
> Any other stories of dogs being fine after eating copper boluses?! She's our only competent farm dog (sorry, other pups) and I can't afford the emergency vet right now. I did just get a low-pay position as a vet greeter and can ask the docs during business hours, though.


So far my healer seems ok and its been a couple weeks. I am afraid it might be the long term affect on the liver. Not sure. But if you spesk to your vet i would like to know what they say. Short term looks good to go.


----------



## ksalvagno

Reading through the whole thread, I'd just keep an eye on the dog.


----------



## ratfarm

dian_na said:


> So far my healer seems ok and its been a couple weeks. I am afraid it might be the long term affect on the liver. Not sure. But if you spesk to your vet i would like to know what they say. Short term looks good to go.


I've been reading online since it happened two hours ago and what I learned is this:

There are specific breeds in the terrier family, doberman, and something else that are genetically prone to copper toxity in a big way but she doesn't have any of the breeds.

Most of the copper poisoning stories come from pennies and it sounds like the zinc core is the culprit there. There were also cases from them eating soluable salts (in the wider context of a study on copper toxicity in goats and sheep) but wire oxide particles aren't soluable and dog digestion goes a lot faster than a ruminant so I'm *guessing* they will get pooped out? I've now seen a LOT of stories about dogs eatng goat boluses (go figure) and no one has had anything scary to contribute that wasn't pure speculation and a lot of "ask your vet". Which, excellent advice, but if you can't get ahold of your vet or they have never encountered wire oxide particle consumtion in a dog, you may be back to square one.

As far as treating actual copper poisoning goes, I read some scary stuff about chelation therapy and ongoing liver biobsis plus a slew of other tests that I couldn't afford if *my* life depended on them (costly to begin with and chelation therapy is even more so for a large breed) and they had their own issues and would honestly be a major damper in her quality of life anyways...

It also sounds like you see signs of issues right away (within a couple days) and I found nothing on long terms effects that weren't issues of dogs continually ingesting excess copper as well as being genetically prone to copper toxicity. Symptoms of copper poisoning include not eating, losing weight, lethargy, dark urine, jaundice, throwing up, and general unwell dog symptoms. Since some of these could be attributed to multiple things, I'd personally watch for dark urine and jaundice as being specific to copper toxicity and less common otherwise.

I am lead to believe from what I read that if she doesn't have the symptoms she is fine, provided she doesn't continually ingest copious amounts of copper or move on to pennies... It also sounded like pushing things through her system faster would limit her absorption so I gave her oatmeal and milk to move things along.

I'm not a vet and everyone should do their own homework before taking my word for it, but there you go. I will post updates for future reference. Thank you for the replies!

EDITED: Typoes corrected, my phone likes to scroll for no apparently reason in the middle of typing and it makes long posts veeeerrryy tedious.


----------



## ratfarm

I did find a solid number as a point of reference for "how much is too much" in this very dense PDF: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjALegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw347avoypp5u5CujHkLSf2F

"In light of these two facts, liver copper concentration less than 2,000 ppm dw appears to have no adverse effect on
the dog's health."

So, anyone know how many ppm of copper is in an adult goat bolus? All I know is that mine are the UltraCruz with 4 grams of particles. Loose goat minerals seem to contain around 300-1,500 ppm of copper. Would a bolus have more because it lasts longer and releases slowly?


----------



## mariarose

I would think it has less effect because it does last longer and releases slowly. Dogs are monogastric and also have a short digestive tract. The rods are going to stay intact. Whatever the ppm, it isn't going to have the effectiveness of that level of ppm.

I think your dog is going to be fine. I also have a prize dog, so I'm not trying to discount your concern.


----------



## 15WildTurkey

It may be too late for this but offering a bowl of hydrogen peroxide will induce vomiting. Not sure if there’s any reaction between the peroxide and copper though. Good luck


----------



## dian_na

ratfarm said:


> I did find a solid number as a point of reference for "how much is too much" in this very dense PDF: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjALegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw347avoypp5u5CujHkLSf2F
> 
> "In light of these two facts, liver copper concentration less than 2,000 ppm dw appears to have no adverse effect on
> the dog's health."
> 
> So, anyone know how many ppm of copper is in an adult goat bolus? All I know is that mine are the UltraCruz with 4 grams of particles. Loose goat minerals seem to contain around 300-1,500 ppm of copper. Would a bolus have more because it lasts longer and releases slowly?


Its the same. 8 grams equal 8000 mg equals 8000 ppm. I gave my dog bread to get the copper to stick to the bread. I did that same research. My dog Bella only ate 1 kid size (4g). I too think they'll b ok. It does freak you out when it first happens.


----------



## mariarose

Dogs eat some interesting things...


----------



## toth boer goats

Hope the dog will be OK.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler

When in doubt, feed the dog canned pumpkin to make it throw up.


----------



## Karen

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> When in doubt, feed the dog canned pumpkin to make it throw up.


Canned pumpkin doesn't make a dog throw up - it's just good for digestive tract and is used to treat both constipation or diarrhea, just given a spoonful at at time.


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler

Karen said:


> Canned pumpkin doesn't make a dog throw up - it's just good for digestive tract and is used to treat both constipation or diarrhea, just given a spoonful at at time.


That's what our vet used and told us to use..??


----------



## Ranger1

I think your vet made a mistake. Karen is right-it’s a good source of fiber and is use kinda like slippery elm in goats, but I’ve never heard of it being used to make a dog throw up...


----------



## mariarose

Perhaps it is a matter of the amount given in a short period of time? A little is good, a whole can is problematic?

Anyway, I'm sure if the dog had been poisoned it would have shown up by now...


----------



## Suzanne_Tyler

Ranger1 said:


> I think your vet made a mistake. Karen is right-it's a good source of fiber and is use kinda like slippery elm in goats, but I've never heard of it being used to make a dog throw up...


The dog literally threw up orange.


----------



## lottsagoats1

If a dog eats something like that, giving them several pieces of fresh bread will help push the boluses thru the system.


----------

