Bulldogs are notorious for drooling. Slobber everywhere, right? What if drooling was actually a symptom of something, but was dismissed by your vet as a normal bulldog habit. Unfortunately, salivation is an early sign of mercury poisoning, according to James Moore, DVM (read more here).
You are probably thinking, how did my dog have mercury in the first place?
THIMEROSAL. It is a mercury based preservative used in most dog vaccines.
(Read more on this in our previous blog post here.)
According to Dr. Moore, "Hundreds of dogs have been killed by the different preparations of mercury, either applied to the skin for the cure of eruptions, or given internally in various visceral diseases." Symptoms of mercury poisoning vary based on the amount of mercury received and include:
- Tender, swollen, spongy and red gums
- Discolored and loose teeth
- Bad breath
- Enlarged jaw glands
- No desire to eat and very thirsty
- Ulcerated membranes in mouth
- Inflamed stomach and bowels that could lead to bloody stool, increased mucus, irritative fever, debility, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis
Treatment
Dr. Moore advises the use of k
ali hydriod. "One grain, dissolved in a tablespoonful of water, should be given night and morning, so long as improvement goes on. At the same time, the dog should have nourishing food, and be kept warm, dry, and free from draughts of cold air."
