The opioid overdose is also affecting working dogs as several K-9s have already overdosed during routine searches for opioids. Why is it harder for working dogs to get the treatment they require, and what are some signs of opioid overdose in dogs that their carers might need to watch out for?

Dogs Affected By Opioid Epidemic

In October 2017, a puppy fell ill from an accidental opioid overdose after toying with a strange pack of cigarettes on the floor. The case showed how pets may also be affected by the ongoing opioid epidemic, but the problem continues to this day as working K-9s have also been experiencing accidental opioid overdoses during routine searches.

In fact, three dogs reportedly overdosed on fentanyl during a drug raid in Florida, but the actual number of dogs that have overdosed on opioids is not clear as there is no agency collecting data on the matter. As such, veterinarians and law enforcement officials are trying to look for ways to prevent such overdoses, and to save the dogs if it happens.

Care For Working Dogs

Opioid overdoses are a rather big issue for working dogs, but it seems as though they are not getting the appropriate care they need. In this regard, many organizations are working to spread information on how to detect when a dog has had an accidental opioid overdose, and what must be done by their carers in such cases.

The team of experts at the University of Pennsylvania’s Working Dog Center is leading the research on the effects of opioid exposures on working dogs, and is working on the best practices that their handlers may employ in such incidences. Also, Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides training to officers so that they know how to administer the overdose-reversal drugs on their canine companions.

According to Working Dog HQ, an organization that aims to advocate new animals care laws, some of the signs of an opioid overdose in dogs are staggering, collapsing, weakness, slow respiratory rate, and cardiac arrest. The canine may also walk like they were drunk, vomit, and have pinpoint pupils.

While the overdose-reversal drugs for humans also works on dogs, it may cause immediate aggression toward the handler, so it’s important to place a muzzle before the drug is administered. CPR may also be administered, as well as facemask or intubation if the dog stopped breathing, but the handler must not place his or her face near the dog’s snout as it may have remaining drug residue.

K-9 Overdose Problems

So far, while most law enforcement officials are trained to look for the signs of opioid overdoses in humans, many do not know how to detect the signs in dogs, particularly their canine companions that are trained to actually search for the drugs.

Furthermore, even if they are able detect the signs of the overdose, many pharmacies do not allow the purchase of the overdose reversal drug for working dogs, and only four states allow working dogs to be transported to animal hospitals via ambulances, while only two states allow EMTs to provide care for working dogs.