One of the most frequent sudden killers of dogs in Nigeria is exposure to insecticides used against insects and sometimes used mistakenly to kill ticks on the body of the dog. It’s unfortunate that these insecticides are sold in the streets and a lot cheaper than most aerosols insecticide sprays also used against insects especially mosquitoes. The most popular product causing this menace is ‘SNIPER 1000EC DDVP’. This product is packaged like some acaricides used as deeps against ticks, fleas and mites and therefore mistaken for acaricides. For just the past one month I have recorded more than 10 emergency cases as a result of exposure to these insecticides.

How does it kill dogs?
These chemicals are mostly organophosphate based chemicals and are dangerous to dogs due to the fact that dogs cannot easily eliminate them from their body. These substances when smeared or sprayed or inhaled by the dog to a toxic level cause the dog to convulse or ‘vibrate’, salivate profusely, loose consciousness, lose of coordination, coma and if nothing is done urgently can lead to death. This incidence is called organophosphate poisoning.

Don’t spray insecticides where your dogs stay
Some people live with dogs but don’t realize that the insecticides they use are dangerous to their dog so in a bid to get rid of mosquitoes, cockroaches etc just spray or sprinkle these harmful insecticides in their house leading to poisoning of the dog. My advice is that your dog be kept far from the fumes of the spray because the fume alone is enough to kill your dog especially when inhaled for a long time.

Take your dog far when doing general insecticide spraying
Most elite Nigerians like to spray insecticides quarterly or monthly sometimes yearly. The misleading name given to this in Nigeria is ‘fumigation’. This practice has been the most frequent cause of this problem. Most employ the services of non-professionals to handle this service and consequently the wrong advice is given to them on how the dogs should be kept during this process. Some practically leave these dogs in the compound while the spraying is going only to have the dogs convulsing heavily later.

Do not smear or spray insecticides on your dog’s skin or hair
Through normal human reasoning you may think that you can eliminate ticks or fleas from the body of your dog merely by smearing or spraying the dog with insecticides. The truth is that insecticides are different from acaricides. Acaricides are the only substances allowed on animals to control ticks, mites and fleas in a controlled procedure. If you smear or spray your dog with these chemicals you have simply signed the death sentence of your dog.

Engage the service of a professional or obtain advice from your veterinarian.
Insect control using insecticides comes with a lot of precaution. These precautions are best understood by the professionals. Most Nigerians misconceive the process and believes that because nothing happens to them when they use these chemicals once or twice. Let me tell you that you are not safe also. When you see the professionals they wear a lot of protective suits, face masks & gloves. These things are not for fashion but to protect the person spraying these chemicals. Commonly the quacks do not observe these precautions they merely carry the knapsack spray behind their back and Nigerians starts calling them to do ‘fumigation’ for them.

Caring for organophosphate poisoned dog
In the African environment the use of palm oil to neutralize poison is a common practice so most Nigerians whose dog comes down with organophosphate poison resort to this practice but it is the ‘wrongest’ thing to do because the dog is not able to swallow so most of the oil enters the lungs and reduce the ventilation of the lungs therefore reducing the intake of oxygen by the lungs which leads to a faster death.

Take the dog away from the fumes immediately.
Rush your dog to the vet immediately.

It's tick season and you need to be careful peradventure your dog(s) fall victim to ticks.

My favorite insecticide for dogs is fipronyl. As far as I’m concerned, sniper should be taken off the market. It’s far too toxic for any use.

Wow, I just learnt something today