An Insight Into K9 Opioid Overdose

By Ruth Gray


Generally, police dogs under the K9 units are usually trained to locate potent synthetic opioids. Nevertheless, there has been a growing unanticipated risk that these dogs have been exposed to. The k9 opioid overdose is becoming an issue that police officers stationed to this unit have had to grapple with. Fentanyl, a strong painkiller usually combined with street heroin, for instance, has resulted in many sniffing dogs being taken to animal hospitals.

Police dogs usually spot the location of opioids simply by following the scent sniffed by their noses. They are usually used to pick up such scents from houses, vehicles and various other places. Nonetheless, sever effects can arise when powerful opioids are excessively inhaled. Some of the indications of the likelihood of an overdose from the inhalations generally include the four-legged companions suddenly becoming unable to move. Some dogs will also exhibit a state of being under sedation.

Other symptoms include unfocused eyes with lolling tongues from out the mouth, stumbling, slowed respiratory, vomiting and other distress symptoms. Veterinary officers have proved the links between such symptoms and overdoses of powerful drugs such as fentanyl. Fentanyl is a very strong drug medically used across the United States. Such opioids have led to many instances of overdoses and in severe cases the deaths of k-9 unit dogs.

On the other hand, risks are also experienced by the human officers who usually accompany these dogs. The officers are usually discouraged from touching samples of drugs because small amount that are absorbed by the skin or ingested can have severe effects. It is therefore encouraged that officers and their dogs take precautionary measures to avoid any severe effects.

Human officers may always have themselves protected by putting on gloves and respirators. Dogs are nonetheless very vulnerable to such effects for the reason that they possess strong senses of smell and usually are at the forefront in doing the raids. Dogs usually lack the appropriate precautionary gears and can easily absorb the opioids via their pads as well as sniffing the substances out of their jowls.

A common remedy to the symptoms experienced involves the administration of naloxone doses. This is a very effective antidote to opioid overdoses for affected dogs that resume duties within a single day. Naloxone offers a deterrent action to the effects of opioid overdoses and will reverse overdose effects and presents no side effects. The K9 trainers often carry along antidotes to treat situations of the dogs getting affected by overdoses from sniffing.

In addition, both dogs and humans can have the naloxone administration through nasal sprays or even injections. Both the nasal sprays and the injectable forms can be carried along by the officers attached to the dogs as they go out for raids. Also, human naloxone may be administered to the dogs under prescriptions from veterinary officers.

The risks involved in the attempts to uncover illegal drugs remain largely unprecedented. Nevertheless, having a new level of precautions remain essential towards alleviating such threats. Sniffing dogs can now effectively do their jobs and have any situations of overdoses remedied.




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