Anti-Freeze warning

[Zambo]

Please make sure you keep any anti-freeze locked away safely. Apparently, cats are attracted to it, as it has a sweet taste. A cat has died from drinking anti-freeze, and obviously the owners are heartbroken.

[fed-ex]

are dogs attracted to it too?

[Zambo]

Sorry - I'm not sure. I just heard about it, and thought it might be worth passing on to everyone.

[nicnak]

Dont know if its right or not but I understood that antifreeze now had to be produced so it was more or less harmless and didnt taste sweet. I really feel for the owners of the cat they must be absolutely gutted and It really is a warning to us all.

[valentine]

yes Fed ex dogs are apparently attracted to it too, If you get any animal to the vet asap from the animal ingesting it they may be able to save it! Apparently they give them large quantities of liquid charcoal and something else to try to neutralise the effect of the antifreeze but like I said you have to get the poor animal there very quickly and ideally take the anti freeze bottle with you so the vet can at least see the toxicity of the product. Hope this helps, but the best way is to make sure all substances are kept out of harms reach.

[bobbyjoeufb]

A dram, on doctor's orders(In case you accidentally drink anti-freeze tonight)
UK Times Online ^ | today | Alan Hamilton


Posted on 12/31/2002 3:25:09 PM PST by Rodney King


A dram, on doctor's orders By Gillian Harris and Alan Hamilton

SHOULD you accidentally toast the new year in antifreeze tonight, don’t panic. The correct antidote is plenty of good Scotch whisky.

Glennis Middleton, a councillor from Forfar, Angus, was not wearing her glasses when she reached for a drink after some strenuous home decorating, picked up the wrong bottle and drank three mouthfuls of what properly belonged inside her car radiator.

There was nothing on the bottle to label the antifreeze as potentially lethal. But Mrs Middleton’s daughter telephoned the family GP, who recommended going to hospital. Doctors administered two drams of whisky, followed by a dram every hour through the night as they monitored the level of antifreeze in her blood.

Mrs Middleton, 51, who dislikes whisky almost as much as antifreeze, had to hold her nose and shut her eyes to force down her life-saving medicine.

Vodka or gin would have worked equally well but, as a patriotic Scot, she chose the vin de pays.

Dr Shobhan Thakore, ofNinewells Hospital in Dundee, explained that the two forms of alcohol in antifreeze — ethylene glycol and methanol — become toxic when metabolised by an enzyme in the liver, causing kidney failure, seizures or blindness.

But when ordinary alcohol is administered, the enzyme is diverted to metabolise the new toxins, allowing the potentially damaging products to be flushed out through the kidneys before they can cause damage.

“The enzyme system is so busy dealing with the whisky that its ability to turn the antifreeze toxic is inhibited; it is then eliminated by the kidneys,” Dr Thakore said.

Even 100ml of antifreeze can be fatal, but doctors stress that the antidote must be medically supervised. Patients are then likely to suffer little more than a hangover.

[brandy]

hiya
all animals and children are attracted to anti-freeze
it is very sweet tasting and very deadly..
back home so many animals and children sicken and die every year from drinking anti-freeze!
even some spilt on the ground while topping up is deadly!
please make sure you lock it up tight!