Update on Ant Bait

Here's more of what I've learned about the ant bait. The manufacturers make the bait smell like peanut butter, which makes it attractive to dogs. The main ingredient is Indoxacarb 0.05%.  After Roma was sick twice this afternoon, I tried to call Animal Poison Control, which is run by the ASPCA, but they ask for a donation of $60.00. I am still convinced that Roma did not eat enough to do more than make her queasy, so I am waiting and watching tonight. Again, she seems her normal self; in fact, she's a bit put out that I have not fed her yet this evening. I did not want to feed her until I was sure she would not be sick again. Gross. I'm sorry. But please watch out for these ant baits at the Park. They have caused me so much needless worry.

-z

Poison Patrol

And Roma's on it. With her keen sense of smell, she sussed out two ant bait contraptions around the buildings last night. Just so you know, they are flat, round, green disks with a spike on the bottom to hold them in the ground. Around the edge of the disk are half a dozen square openings for the ants to enter. The bait is a sticky goo in the center of the disk. It looks like the caramel filling of a Russell Stover candy. It must have some sweetness, or Roma would not be interested. She chewed up the two disks she found last night. One was already empty, as far as I could  tell,  but she did puncture the center where the bait was in the second one. 

I managed to decipher a toll-free number on one of the mutilated bait containers, but of course the office was closed on a Friday evening. I will call the company on Monday. My friend Sarah (Tony) called her vet, who gave her the Animal Poison Control number. Here it is: 888-426-4435. I did not call it, in the end, because Roma seemed fine (still does), and the bait containers were so mutilated that I could not read the ingredients anyway. Still, I now keep that number in my wallet. 

Erica (Coco and Joey) also reminded me that if you suspect your dog of eating something poisonous (in Joey's case, it was chocolate; Roma has eaten rat poison found in a neighbor's yard), that you can force him or her to swallow hydrogen peroxide. Administer it with a sports drink bottle or a large syringe (which I had from other doggie meds). The peroxide foams up in the dog's stomach and forces everything up and out. The hydrogen peroxide must be fresh, however. 

Not a pleasant topic, I'm afraid, but I thought people should know. Have a good Saturday!

-z