It's too bad there are no dog autopsies, to show what the contents of the dogs stomachs were prior to their death - it's pretty common knowledge that chocolate is toxic to dogs. Probably pretty easy for a teenage ICA to feed them chocolate.
What else is poisonous to dogs? What else could ICA have killed them with?
Wonder if the State will try and get vet records before the case concludes or if that is even necessary given all the other evidence - the hint or possibility that she had a hand in it is probably enough for the jury - I know it's giving me chills now.
Antifreeze
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning usually follow a three-step progression, although poisoned individuals will not always develop each stage.[1]
Stage 1 (0.5 to 12 hours) consists of neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms; people may appear to be intoxicated, exhibiting symptoms such as dizziness, incoordination of muscle movements, nystagmus, headaches, slurred speech, and confusion. Irritation to the stomach may cause nausea and vomiting.[1] Over time, the body metabolizes ethylene glycol into other toxins.
Stage 2 (12 to 36 hours) is a result of accumulation of organic acids formed by the metabolism of ethylene glycol and consists of increased heart rate, high blood pressure, hyperventilation, and metabolic acidosis. Additionally low calcium levels in the blood, overactive muscle reflexes, muscle spasms, QT interval prolongation, and congestive heart failure may occur. If untreated, death most commonly occurs during this period.[1]
Stage 3 (24 to 72 hours) kidney failure is the result of ethylene glycol poisoning. Symptoms include acute tubular necrosis, red blood cells in the urine, excess proteins in the urine, lower back pain, decreased production of urine, absent production of urine, elevated blood level of potassium, and acute kidney failure.[2][3] If kidney failure occurs it is typically reversible, although weeks or months of supportive care including hemodialysis may be required before kidney function returns.[1]
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_glycol_poisoning"]Ethylene glycol poisoning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Ethylene_glycol.svg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Ethylene_glycol.svg/230px-Ethylene_glycol.svg.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/a/a6/Ethylene_glycol.svg/230px-Ethylene_glycol.svg.png[/ame]
Grapes/raisins
The minimum toxic dose is approximately 1 grape per pound of body weight.
15 lb dog = 12-14 grapes could be deadly
25 lb. dog = 23 grapes could be deadly
50 lb. dog = 50+ grapes could be deadly
75 lb. dog = 75 grapes could be deadly
Raisins, having lost their water content are considered more toxic at 6 raisins per kg of body weight, or 2-3 raisins per pound of body weight. Think how many raisins are in ONE small snack pack of raisins ? maybe enough to kill your dog.
15 lb. dog = 30-45 raisins could be deadly
25 lb. dog = 50-75 raisins could be deadly
50 lb. dog = 100-150 raisins could be deadly
75 lb. dog = 150-225 raisins could be deadly
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms appear 6-24 hours after the dog eats raisins or grapes (average is 12 hours). Initially, symptoms are gastro-intestinal signs, followed by kidney problems.
Vomiting is usually the primary sign, with diarrhea, depression/lethargy, anorexia, colic, dehydration and sharply decreased urine output. The course of the toxicosis is anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. Dogs with kidney problems have a guarded to poor prognosis.
http://deanscyberspace.wordpress.com/2005/12/06/raisins-grapes-poisonous-to-dogs/
Chocolate toxicity
symptoms:
Hyper excitability
Hyper irritability
Increased heart rate
Restlessness
Increased urination
Muscle tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Coffee Grounds and Beans
Some dogs will eat anything, especially if they're enjoying a forbidden treat from a trash can.
Coffee grounds and beans have caffeine in them, and dogs that eat them can suffer from caffeine toxicity.
The symptoms of coffee toxicity are similar to the symptoms of chocolate toxicity, and just as serious, if not more so.
http://www.dog-first-aid-101.com/toxic-foods.html
Yeast Dough (Unbaked Bread)
If you bake bread, you know that the dough needs a warm, moist environment to expand.
Your dog's stomach is a nice warm, moist environment, and so, the dough can expand to many times its size when first ingested.
This distends his abdomen and can cause pain.
Another issue with raw dough is the rising process itself.
The dough rises because the yeast ferments it. The fermentation results in alcohol, which can cause alcohol toxicity (see below).
Toxic signs seen from
tobacco ingestion
The first thing the body does after ingestion of tobacco/nicotine is to get rid of it, seen as vomiting. Here are the common signs from nicotine toxicity:
•vomiting
•diarrhea
•tremors or trembling
•drooling, hypersalivation
•constricted pupils
•excitement, odd behavior
•seizures
•death
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/toxicology/qt/nicotine-toxicity.htm
