In the fall of 2023, Katie Scott returned home from work to find her black Labrador mix, Chowder, flying out of its crate and into a bottle of liquid ibuprofen meant for children. “She's a one-year-old Lab, so naturally she's a little mischievous,” Scott told The Daily Beast.
Scott, a veterinary technician, said human medications such as Advil and Tylenol are harmful to dogs' internal organs and can cause gastrointestinal, kidney and liver problems. She knew it was a race against time to provide Chowder with the care he needed.
But before calling the local veterinary clinic, Scott obtained ReadyRESCUE, an at-home veterinary antidote that absorbs toxins before a pet's body does, giving pet parents time to visit a veterinarian. earned.
“As a veterinarian, I have experience administering traditional charcoal, but it's very messy,” Scott said, noting that most pet parents use activated charcoal products (to remove toxins in animals at the veterinary clinic). It added that it did not have a commonly used antidote. to manage.
Scott said ReadyRESCUE's most valuable asset is the ability to give it at home. Every minute counts after a pet ingests a toxin, as it allows the pet parent one minute to breathe before contacting poison control or the veterinary clinic.
Manufactured by the Dr. Cuddles brand, ReadyRESCUE is made of activated charcoal balls that can be mixed with another ingredient, such as peanut butter, and given to pets who have ingested toxins at home. This may include human pharmaceuticals, chocolate, and recreational drugs such as THC. The charcoal absorbs toxins and binds the harmful components into spheres instead of your pet's bloodstream, where they are safely excreted into your cat's or dog's feces without causing damage to internal organs or the gastrointestinal tract.
Each box costs $134 and contains three vials. Dosage is based on the size of the animal. Scott said she administered the chowder with peanut butter “very easily” and her dog “happily ate it all.”
“We continued to communicate with the emergency physician at the hospital to confirm the dose of ibuprofen that Ms. Chowder had taken to ensure that she did not require hospitalization,” Scott said.
While administering charcoal to pets that have ingested toxins is not new (activated charcoal is a common protocol used in pet hospitals), ReadyRESCUE's charcoal balls provide pet owners with a first-of-its-kind tool that can be used at home. Masu. It's a concept that excited founder Matt Glassman, a board-certified veterinary surgeon in Washington, D.C., who spent three years developing the product.
“We know this drug will save lives and make veterinarians' jobs easier,” Glassman told The Daily Beast. “This drug is supposed to be administered at the time of day when it is most effective, which means it should be administered at home as soon as ingestion of the toxin is suspected.”
Glassman was intended for accidental ingestion of toxins, We noted that there are some toxins for which ReadyRESCUE is not effective, such as xylitol, a sweetener found in products such as gum. Ethylene glycol, or antifreeze. But for pet owners like Scott, this product is a “comfort” tool to have on hand.
“The great thing about ReadyRESCUE is that you can safely give it to your pet even if you don’t know what or how much they have ingested,” she said. “If you don't ingest any toxins, the charcoal beads just pass through your intestines without causing any damage.”
Benjamin Brainard, a professor of small animal emergency and critical care at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, told The Daily Beast that while he has not used ReadyRESCUE in his practice, he is familiar with the product and would use it. He said he provided a recent scenario of what might have happened. useful. His patients were on an island in South Carolina, and their dog had ingested a human drug.
“The nearest veterinarian was several hours away, so he called me for help,” said the Athens, Georgia-based specialist. “If she could administer activated charcoal at her home, it would have been a beneficial way to prevent her from absorbing this toxin on the way to the vet.”
In this case, Professor Brainard said another option would be to use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. “This means that you first need to have hydrogen peroxide in your home. Hydrogen peroxide turns into water after about six months, so you need to replace it with a new bottle,” he says. explained, adding that administering hydrogen peroxide comes with its own risks. This is best done under veterinary supervision due to the possibility of canker sores.
“Also, vomiting does not necessarily flush out the toxin completely,” he added.
Brainard emphasized that by giving products like ReadyRESCUE at home, you can help animals instead of hurting them. “I think the best way to think of ReadyRESCUE is as a bridge,” Brainard told The Daily Beast. “This animal still needs veterinary attention.”
barking up the wrong tree
While some emergency veterinarians support this product and see its value, others are not convinced.
Lauren Darwin, an emergency veterinarian in Tucson, Ariz., calls ReadyRESCUE a “dangerous product” for consumers, saying that if a pet ingests any toxin, the first step is to contact the ASPCA's Pet Poison Control Center 24/7. He told The Daily Beast that he needed to contact the government. Use our helpline by calling (888) 426-4435 and get yourself taken to the nearest emergency room for treatment.
“As an emergency veterinarian, I frequently see toxin ingestions, especially chocolate poisoning, grapes, and prescription drug overdoses, which are common things that ReadyRESCUE claims to help with.” Mr. Darwin said.
The Arizona-based veterinarian stressed that charcoal alone is not enough to decontaminate toxins from a pet's body. “We are concerned that this product may give the false impression that it can be administered at home and may deter people from seeking veterinary treatment believing that this product is sufficient,” she said. said.
Dr. Glassman and his dog.
Dr. Cuddles
Darwin added that while charcoal may be recommended for the ingestion of certain toxins, giving charcoal at home can cause life-threatening problems.
“Pets often vomit when they ingest toxins,” Darwin says. “Giving charcoal at home poses a significant life-threatening risk as the child vomits at home and then inhales it, causing aspiration pneumonia.”
Glassman acknowledged that vomiting is a natural concern if pets ingest toxins, but it's an issue faced whether charcoal is given at home or in the hospital. He cites medical research, including studies on the use of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, and emphasizes the importance of time when treating patients who have ingested the toxin.
“The fact that ReadyRESCUE can be administered at home well before vomiting or gastric lavage in the hospital may suggest that prevention of absorption is that much better,” he said.
Glassman accepts the concerns about vomiting, but is adamant that the product is not a substitute for professional veterinary care, but rather a solution to urgent emergencies such as toxin ingestion.
“I think of ReadyRESCUE like CPR,” he explained. “When you give someone CPR, you're not saying, 'Give them CPR and don't call 911 or go to the hospital.' You're saying, 'Do CPR while you're on the phone or until you get to the hospital.' 'Resuscitate me.'”
