[lit-ideas] Re: Annie Proulx [antifreeze]
- From: Robert Paul <robert.paul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 16:49:39 -0800
Sometimes I think reading Pro ulx is like a dog lapping anti-freeze.
It's awful tasty and hard to stop but nothing compares to the belly-ache
that comes with it.
I know this was meant light heartedly, but a dog lapping antifreeze is
no joke. The widely sold brands of antifreeze contain ethylene glycol.
Ethylene glycol is toxic to dogs and cats; it is also very palatable to
them. Ethylene glycol is broken down by the liver into compounds that
are more toxic to the central nervous system than is ethylene glycol
itself; some of them do irreversable kidney damage and animals who have
ingested antifreeze die from kidney failure. Ethylene glycol poisoning
leads not just to 'stomach ache' but to an excrutiating death.
The signs of ethylene glycol poisoning are that the animal behaves as if
intoxicated, becomes lethargic, then comatose. There may also be
vomiting, but this vomiting won't get rid of the antifreeze. If the
animal is to survive, treatment must be begun within five hours. If
you're not home when your pet drinks the stuff, not much can be done.
This is the time of year when people who put in their own antifreeze may
spill some on a garage floor or accidentally leave some in an open
container or a container with a loose top. Antifreeze may also leak from
a car's cooling system.
The ASPCA has a poison control hotline: 888) 426-4435. There may be a
charge for a consultation. It's worth it.
Robert Paul
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Malcolm and Murphy
watching the sun set on Mt. Hood
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