Thursday, October 19, 2017

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 can actually spot opioid location just by picking up and following scents using their noses. They are depended on in the detection of the scents usually from vehicles and houses or other suspected places. However, adverse effects often arise with excessive inhalations of powerful opioid. Symptoms of the overdoses resulting from the inhalations in dogs include dogs unexpectedly stopping their movement. Others could show some status of 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.

At the same time, risks may be experienced by human officers attached to the dogs and who accompany them in raids. The officers are normally discouraged from holding the drug samples by hands since even small amounts absorbed through the skin as well as those ingested will present severe effects. Therefore, it is encouraged that an officer and his or her dog take safety measures in a bid to keep away from severe effects.

Human officers can always protect themselves by having respirators and gloves on. Dogs are, however, more vulnerable to the effects since they have a strong sense of smell and are the ones usually sent to conduct the raids. The dogs usually lack appropriate safety gears and as a result, they will usually absorb the drugs through their pads and sniffing them up 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.

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 risks involved in attempting to uncover illicit drugs are commonly unexpected. However, having the precautions taken is key to alleviating any threats. Sniff dogs can now competently take on drug searches without worry of overdoses with the opioids.




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