Dogs Poisoning Veterinarians

Some best friend. A few veterinarians and their workers are discovering dogs have made them very sick. Experts at the Centers for Disease Controls are warning of a bizarre poisoning that's occurring when dogs vomit in vet offices after ingesting pest-fighting chemicals aimed at rats, moles, and gophers. The dogs eat zinc phosphide, which is used as a rodent killer. But when it mixes with a dog's stomach acid, it produces potentially lethal phosphine gas.

In one case, six veterinary workers in Michigan were recently poisoned by exposure and suffered symptoms ranging from shortness of breath to bad headaches. They recovered with no known long-term effects, but the CDC has warned that more serious incidents could occur. Experts suggest inducing dog vomiting outdoors. (More phosphine gas stories.)