Treatment of Poisoning

The dog pictured was brought in for emergency care after ingesting a bottle of ibuprofen. Left untreated, such exposure can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and sometimes death (Veterinary Centers of America, 2023).

The standard treatment for canine ibuprofen poisoning is oral administration of activated charcoal using a syringe or stomach tube; charcoal binds to toxins and prevents their absorption into the bloodstream.

Because charcoal stains fur, the dog was covered with a plastic garbage bag for the procedure (Figure 1).