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.

The risks could as well be experienced by attached human officers. The officers are usually discouraged from physically holding drug samples owing to the fact that little amounts can be absorbed by their skin or even be consumed and pose severe effects. As such, it is imperative that officers and their dogs to ensure safety measures are taken to avoid sever 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.

The symptoms suffered by the dogs are usually remedied through the administration of naloxone. This is a good opioid antidote and with its use, dogs can often resume duty after a day. Naloxone actually acts by blocking the opioid effects and reverses the overdoses with minimal side effects. It is also encouraged that K-9 trainers go out with them with this antidote in the event that the dogs exhibit symptoms of an overdose.

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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