There is no denying the fact that drug abuse is a scourge that many communities all over the world battle with. The economy always takes a tumble when many working people become addicts. Since the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire waged war over opium sales in the 1600s and 1700s, opioids have been the most preferred drugs by addicts. These days, police dogs routinely fall victim to K9 opioid overdose.
Police dogs usually go through a lot during field work. As they are naturally curious creatures, they like to sniff out drugs in all manner of places and sometimes inadvertently ingest drugs such as heroin. In such cases, emergency assistance should be given lest death sets in.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of training programs that handlers can take advantage of to ensure their dogs stay safe at all times in the field. Training primarily revolves around emergency response methods. There are several tools used in emergency situations.
Naloxone is the primary drug that doctors administer to overdose patients. It has compounds that actively reverse the negative effects of heroin and other opioids in the blood. Administration is done by injecting it directly into the blood stream or using it as a nasal spray. The good thing is that this antidote has been proven to work on dogs too.
When a dog overdoses, the drug that will most likely kill it is Fentanyl. This is a drug that has long been abused and is 50 times more potent than heroin. When a dog inadvertently ingests it, it may collapse and die within minutes. With such a short treatment window, the most advisable thing to do for officers is to carry the antidote during field missions.
If you are in law enforcement as a handler, you should know what to do any time you are faced with a drug overdose from your canine. Staggering and general weakness are some of the symptoms you should spot immediately. Check whether the dog has difficulty staying upright or walking.
When these symptoms manifest, proceed to check the heart rate. A vast majority of abused drugs slow the heartbeat to a crawl, eventually leading to cardiac arrest. From your emergency response, you should be able to help the canine avoid slipping into a cardiac arrest.
You should also know that most overdosed dogs react aggressively when attempts are made to treat them. As such, you should muzzle it before you administer Naloxone. The most prudent thing to do is to have someone to help you restrain the dog as you undertake the emergency procedures.
Respiratory failure is the trickiest complication to handle. This happens when breathing stops. CPR is the standard emergency procedure that one must undertake. However, handlers are cautioned against placing their mouths directly over the snout. This is because drug residue may be present in it.
There should be a CPR tube and face mask in your kit. Use the tube to apply 10 to 12 breaths every minute. When the dog recovers, spend 30 minutes monitoring it. If its condition worsens, repeat the treatment procedure.
Police dogs usually go through a lot during field work. As they are naturally curious creatures, they like to sniff out drugs in all manner of places and sometimes inadvertently ingest drugs such as heroin. In such cases, emergency assistance should be given lest death sets in.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of training programs that handlers can take advantage of to ensure their dogs stay safe at all times in the field. Training primarily revolves around emergency response methods. There are several tools used in emergency situations.
Naloxone is the primary drug that doctors administer to overdose patients. It has compounds that actively reverse the negative effects of heroin and other opioids in the blood. Administration is done by injecting it directly into the blood stream or using it as a nasal spray. The good thing is that this antidote has been proven to work on dogs too.
When a dog overdoses, the drug that will most likely kill it is Fentanyl. This is a drug that has long been abused and is 50 times more potent than heroin. When a dog inadvertently ingests it, it may collapse and die within minutes. With such a short treatment window, the most advisable thing to do for officers is to carry the antidote during field missions.
If you are in law enforcement as a handler, you should know what to do any time you are faced with a drug overdose from your canine. Staggering and general weakness are some of the symptoms you should spot immediately. Check whether the dog has difficulty staying upright or walking.
When these symptoms manifest, proceed to check the heart rate. A vast majority of abused drugs slow the heartbeat to a crawl, eventually leading to cardiac arrest. From your emergency response, you should be able to help the canine avoid slipping into a cardiac arrest.
You should also know that most overdosed dogs react aggressively when attempts are made to treat them. As such, you should muzzle it before you administer Naloxone. The most prudent thing to do is to have someone to help you restrain the dog as you undertake the emergency procedures.
Respiratory failure is the trickiest complication to handle. This happens when breathing stops. CPR is the standard emergency procedure that one must undertake. However, handlers are cautioned against placing their mouths directly over the snout. This is because drug residue may be present in it.
There should be a CPR tube and face mask in your kit. Use the tube to apply 10 to 12 breaths every minute. When the dog recovers, spend 30 minutes monitoring it. If its condition worsens, repeat the treatment procedure.
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