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Learn More About K9 Opioid Overdose

By Ruth Gray


Ideally, K9 unit police dogs are trained to spot potent synthetic drugs. Nonetheless, there is a growing and unanticipated threat that the dogs are exposed to. K9 opioid overdose is a serious issue which police officers attached to these units have struggled to handle. For example, fentanyl is one strong painkiller normally mixed with heroin and has caused severe effects to sniffing dogs leading to their visits to animal hospitals.

Police dogs normally spot the places where opioids are located by following scents sniffed through their nose. They are relied on to detect these scents from vehicles, houses and other places. Nevertheless, severe effect may arise if a powerful opioid is excessively inhaled. The symptoms of an overdose from such inhalations in the dogs are such as the dogs suddenly no being able to move. Other dogs may exhibit a state of sedation.

Others will also have their eyes unfocused while also lolling their tongues out of their mouth, vomiting, stumbling and slowed respiratory rates among other various distress symptoms. Animal doctors have shown that these symptoms are actually linked to the overdose of powerful drugs like fentanyl. Fentanyl is amongst the strongest opioids medically used around the United States. The drug has resulted in a number of overdoses as well as deaths of the 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 can easily protect themselves from such risks by having gloves as well as respirators. Dogs are on the other hand very vulnerable to the risks given that their strong ability to smell puts then at helm of drug raids. Dogs literally lack an appropriate defensive gear and will easily ingest opioids through their pads or sniffing of the substances into the jowls.

These symptoms experienced by these dogs are normally remedied by administering naloxone doses. Naloxone is an effective opioid remedy which when used, affected sniff dogs can resume duty within a day. The naloxone acts by deterring the effects caused by the opioid and reversing the overdose caused with very minimal side effects. K-9 trainers are usually encouraged to carry with them the antidotes to remedy situations where dogs are affected and exhibit signs of overdoses.

Additionally, both the human officers and dogs can have naloxone administrations done through injections and nasal sprays. Both the injectable forms and nasal sprays can be ferried along by officers who conduct searches with the dogs during raids. In addition, human naloxone can be administrable to dogs but when prescribed by veterinary officers.

The threats involved in attempts of uncovering illegal drugs are usually largely unprecedented. Nonetheless, having various sets of precautions is essential in alleviating the likely threats. Sniff dogs are now efficiently able take part in searches without the worry of opioid overdoses.




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