Brazen by Kelley Armstrong

nick Sorentino knows everyone in the supernatural world considers him the Pack's playboy, the pretty but not very useful werewolf whose only reputation involves his amorous exploits.
Usually, Nick couldn't care less what anyone outside the Pack thinks of him. But when it affects his hunt for Malcolm Danvers, a psychotic bogey-man from the Pack's past, it matters.
Necessity forces Nick to team up with mercenary half-demon Vanessa Callas to run Malcolm to ground in Detroit. Together, they discover Malcolm is more deadly than ever. And he wants to play.
It's time for Nick to prove he's not just a lover. He's a fighter.

Nick has been put on the case of finding Malcolm after he was discovered to be still alive during the events of 13. Elena and Clay want him dead and they don't want Jeremy knowing he's alive in the first place.

The Sub Press novellas have always been a nice way of easing the waiting time between Otherworld books, but now the series is on hiatus they're even more important to me. Armstrong knows her fans love the Otherworld and all the characters, I think she herself would also miss them if they disappeared completely. So to ease the pain, she's going to be releasing novellas and such until she brings the series back (for my sanity, it will always be a when not an if until she says different).

This one is nice to read, we finally get something from Nick's POV. Nick, who always comes across as laid back and so nonchalant, proves to us that he's just as protective of the Pack as Clay or Elena. The younger wolves are his responsibility and he's matured and settled since they've came into his home. Nick often gets looked over with Elena and Clay heading the adventures up so it was nice to see him come into his own in this book.

The book also ended with an obvious nod to another book which I can't wait to read.


Buy direct from Subterranean Press: Brazen
Amazon UK: Brazen

Aden by D.B. Reynolds

She was seeking revenge. What she found was a vampire who swept her into the darkest depths of passion.

Chicago, Illinois ... the windy city. Home to football greats, dinosaurs named Sue, and, when the sun goes down ... powerful vampires battling for the right to rule the city and beyond.

Born into slavery, Aden is one of the most powerful vampires in North America, waging war on others of his kind in a struggle to become the next Lord of the Midwest. But in the midst of the deadliest fight of his long life, the ghosts of his past have come back to haunt him. Slavery still exists, and Aden is hellbent on destroying it and the vampires who profit from it.

Sidonie Reid is an investigative reporter in pursuit of the biggest story of her career, until that story costs the life of a friend and Sid realises she has to do much more than write about it. Intent on bringing down the vampires and their slave network, Sid gains entry to the highest levels of vampire society, where she finds herself confronting the raw sexuality that is Aden.

Caught up in a dark passion that neither can resist, Aden and Sidonie join forces, determined to defeat the old regime and everything it stands for. The dangers are beyond calculation, but the ultimate reward is worth the risk. If they survive ...

Aden is next in line for Lord of the Midwest, all he has in his way is the pesky challengers. Sidonie has been trying to bring down a slavery ring that she knows the previous Lord had his hand in, so of course she thinks getting in with Aden is the best way to continue - problem is that Aden knows exactly what she's doing.

I love this series and it only gets better with each one. My only problem is that my favourite vampire wasn't in this at all - that'd be Duncan. Although Aden is delectable and thoroughly lickable.

Reynolds is building up to something epic with this series and I can't wait to find out what that is. There's hints and small teases in each new book, we now know where the threat is coming from and partly what Raphael's plans are.

I highly recommend this series to any vampire readers out there. Reynolds' vamps are brutal and aggressive, but still know they have to fit in to human kind. They're not afraid to show what they really are though.


Book Depository: Aden
Amazon UK: Aden

Why Vet Nursing is not a "Just for the Money" job

A lot of the time, I hear that Vets are all money grabbers. I've had people say to me at the desk that they can't believe how much A or B costs and people thinking I'm in my job for money. Because everyone knows how much Vet Nurses get paid, right? Do you know? Unless you're a Vet Nurse, no you don't.
I'd like to give you all a taster of what Vet Nursing is like as a job and you'll see why it's not a job you get into for the money.

My evening began with evening consults at 5pm, just after 5 a distraught owner ran in with her young family pet in her arms – it had just been in a Road Traffic Accident. This much loved family pet had sustained a fatal trauma that would be unfixable – even if it was fixable, the pet would likely be paralysed in the hind limbs. Our only option, and the owners hardest decision, was to put the animal to sleep ….. at 6 months of age.
It was heart breaking, it was horrible and it was the most upsetting euthanasia I've done in my career.

After that exceptionally sad case was over I, and the Vet, had to continue with evening consults. I had to pretend everything was fine and be cheery with clients, while feeling like all I wanted to do was sit and cry.

There are plenty of jobs out there that pay the same, or more than, I get at the moment. They don't have as much stress attached. They're mostly guaranteed to finish at the right time. And you don't have to go through the heartbreak of euthanasing people's family pets. This isn't a job I, or any other Vet or Vet Nurse, got into for the money. This is a job you get into for the love of animals and helping animals every day.

There are plenty of jobs where I wouldn't come home with a heavy heart. And I'll admit that I came home and cried about that case tonight – how many other jobs cause that to happen?

Daylighters by Rachel Caine

Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire Danvers and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they've ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated - vampires from humans - they realise that the changes definitely aren't for the better.

It seems than an organisation called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they've never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation - even for the vampires themselves - the truth is far more sinister and deadly.

Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end ...

So everyone arrives back in Morganville only to be arrested and get split up. They discover the Daylight Foundation has taken over Morganville and ousted the vamps from their post as rulers. Everyone seems happier and Morganville is suddenly safer but Claire, Eve and Shane realise that it's not all it seems and that maybe it WAS better with the vamps in control rather than the weird Daylighters. They find out that the guy in charge has a "cure" for vampirism and is looking for volunteers, but nothing is ever as it seems, is it?

This book saddens me because it's the last book in an amazing series, it also saddens me that the cheesy ending really ruined the book for me. I kinda wish I could go back in time and tell me to just finish a bit earlier and leave on a high.

I don't think I'm going to be able to do a spoiler free review so I'm not going to try. The following section will contain spoilers, you can highlight to read if you don't mind.
{spoilers}The humans of Morganville have put all the vampires together in a sort of concentration camp (actually it's an old shopping mall) where they get limited blood and have to wear shock collars to keep them from attacking the guards. The Daylighters have a supposed cure for vampirism that they're looking for volunteers to test it on, if they don't get volunteers they'll force vampires into it - trouble is the cure has a higher fail rate than success rate and when it fails, the vampires get executed. Michael is grabbed as a test subject and the cure actually works on him - luckily enough just as his marriage to Eve is destroyed due to new laws. Shane's dog bite turns out to be an infection that changes him into some sort of vampire hunting werewolf - again luckily enough for him and Michael that the cure works on him since being around vampires causes Shane to change automatically.

And those last two sections are my problem with the ending, it all ended so happily and quite cheesy in my opinion. As much as I love this series, the ending was a HUGE disappointment. It's all so coincidental that Michael turns human again and happens to solve lots of problems all at the one time.{/spoilers}

The story itself is just as interesting as the rest of the series, it really is just the ending that lets it down. Despite that, I will still recommend the Morganville series to others - it's a great series with lots of ups and downs and some great characters, plus it's getting made into a TV show thanks to the fans (myself included). I love the series and it's sad to see it end.


Book Depository: Daylighters
Amazon UK: Daylighters

Broken Beauty by Chloe Adams

Sometimes bad things happen to beautiful people.

When socialite party girl Mia Abbott-Renou wakes up in a garden she has little recall of the previous night - except that she is naked ... hurt ... terrified. Not only has she been raped, but she knows one of her assailants: the son of a wealthy politician who happens to be her own father's political ally.

Mia wants and needs justice. Except this privileged boy has an alibi and her father forbids her from going to the police. It's a critical election year, one that his party might lose if his image as a doting father is soured due to Mia being labelled a lush or worse, promiscuous.

Devastated at not having the support of her family, Mia finds herself in a tug-of-war with her conscience over what to do, especially since she can't remember exactly what happened that night. Worse, the men who attacked her have hurt several other girls, and Mia may be the key to stopping them.

Mia tries to forget, until the unthinkable happens, and she's left reeling once again, faced with a new challenge that will force her to take more control of her life.

Mia is raped at a party, she wakes the next morning when the police find her. Her father is a politician that thinks the body has a way of stopping pregnancy when it's rape so she's not allowed the morning after pill as a precaution. Mia has flashes of memory and knows her attackers but she can't tell the police because it could affect her father's campaign. On top of that she also gets done for having a stolen ID and has to do community service at a women's shelter where she discovers the horror of the rape isn't over.

The novella opens with Mia being woken up by the police and we get flashbacks of what happened the night before. The flashes are horrible and very well written in the sense that you're horrified for this poor girl and the images we get are heart breaking. The author does a good job of getting you there at the scene without going into full blown description of the act - thankfully.

One major flaw of the book is that Mia is a bit of an idiot. Yes, her father has told her that women can't get pregnant when they get raped - it seems her father's character was loosely based on that idiot politician that made the statement a while back about how the body has a way to prevent that from happening - but she's a teenage girl who, I can only assume, has access to the internet and other information sources so her naivety is confusing to me. The fact that she flat out believes her father with no questions asked is kind of unbelievable for me.

Speaking of her father, he's a douche! She's in hospital after being horrifically raped and injured and he doesn't even come to see her? In fact I don't think she even gets to speak to him until almost a week later. Her mother is in rehab and after Mia speaks to her, she says she'll be there in a couple of days but never shows up. What kind of parents does she have?!? Her best friend is there for her, the cops that found her are there for her and it seems that, sometimes, her uncle is on her side as well. Although he does tell her not to name her attacker unless she's 100% sure or she'll get dragged to court and have to face him. Surely the rape kit is evidence enough if they just get a DNA sample from him?

This is definitely a series that I'll be keeping an eye on. I'm invested in Mia and her story now so I want to continue to follow it.


Amazon UK: Broken Beauty

Seducing Her Rival by Seleste deLaney

She's trapped with a man she hates ... and can't resist.

When cruise ship turbulence sends children's charity guru Mercedes Vega — and her tropical cocktail — flying into a mysterious stranger, she's convinced her free vacation is a dream-come-true. But Lucas Bellamy isn't just sexy as sin and richer than God. He's her business rival, determined to outbid her charity for the land she desperately needs ... a fact she doesn't learn until after a night of mind-blowing, toe-curling sex. Unwilling to give up, she formulates a plan to make the charming playboy fall in love with her and back out of the property deal.

Lucas is drawn to Mercedes, but he won't stand down — after all, he has promises of his own to keep. But one scintillating night with the enigmatic brunette leads to another, and before long, it's unclear who's seducing who, leaving Mercedes wondering whether the man she's supposed to hate is the only salvation from her past.

Mercedes has a history she's trying to make amends for by building a playground where kids can feel safe. Lucas has plans to build a school in memory of someone he loved and lost. Unfortunately, they're both after the same land and also both happen to be on the same cruise ship. What's even more unfortunate is that they're both mega attracted to one another. Mercedes wants to hate Lucas but can't keep away from him so she comes up with a plan where she can have her cake and eat it too.

Yet another fab book by the awesome Ms deLaney. I liked Mercedes most of the time but there were times where she was a bit too whiny for me, I much preferred Lucas. I could say he was a bit of a douche for trying to keep his identity a secret (he did have actual reasons at the beginning) but Mercedes was also a bit of a douche for trying to play with his heart so she could get the land.

I love anything Seleste writes, I will always read her stuff and, like with this book, I might not love the main characters but I still love the story and that's what counts. Only a few books have made me DNF due to really bad characters, for most the story is the important bit for me.


Amazon UK: Seducing Her Rival

Two Wrongs, One Right by Katee Robert

Eight years ago, former Army sergeant Nathan Schultz let the love of his life disappear without a fight. After watching everyone around him find happiness while he slipped further away, he's finally ready to fight for Chelsea Callaghan — and he's not afraid to play dirty.

Chelsea has always followed her conservative family's rules — with one heartbreaking exception. When she receives an invitation to an old high school friend's wedding, she knows who's to blame. Though she goes solely to give Nathan a piece of her mind, he blackmails her into staying the entire week. With him.

There's no way she'll bow to Nathan's will without making him pay. Unfortunately, revenge is a dish best served fully clothed, and they can't be in the same room without losing theirs. As insatiable, anger-fueled lust shifts into something more, they begin to lose sight of why they can't be together. But with so many unforgivable wrongs between them, can Nathan and Chelsea ever make things right?

Chelsea and Nathan have history, history that has long since been buried but Nathan wants to bring it back to the present so he invites Chelsea to his brother's wedding. Chelsea only comes to finally put him behind her, but she doesn't foresee herself missing things about being with Nathan. For Nathan it's what he was hoping for all along.

I'm enjoying this series although I found I didn't like Chelsea all that much and I was only ever "meh" about Nathan so it's definitely not my favourite in the series. I was looking forward to this book because of the hint dropping at the end of the last one, and it's a doozy of a secret. I was convinced this was going to be an MM book, obviously I was wrong.

I'm not sure if this is the last book in the series, there was a bit at the end of this one about Danielle's story but I think it's a novella in an anthology rather than a full length book. Although I may be wrong but that's what it seemed like to me. And it did say "Come Undone one last time with Danielle" so to me that means end of series. Time will tell, but I liked the little we saw of Danielle in this so I'm quite looking forward to it.


Amazon UK: Two Wrongs, One Right

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia's world is shattered when she learns that she's adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother's former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens' last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home, and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

Liv finds out she's adopted and her birth parents are convicted serial killers, not bad enough that she's having a bit of an identity crisis but her mother basically shuns her (not exactly but in a way). In a bid to become her own person, she ends up in Cainsville (with some help) and gets in touch with her birth mother who convinces her to help her with her case. Liv discovers there's more to her parents case than meets the eye.

With Kelley's Otherworld series coming to a close, I was really looking forward to this book. I knew it wasn't going to be anything like Otherworld but I could also tell that it was going to have a vaguely supernatural feel to it. I won this as an ARC but, because of the time to post stuff form Canada to UK, I only got it just about the time it actually came out over here. I am still going to buy it though, I much prefer the UK cover plus I'll be getting the rest of the series in the UK cover so I don't want it to be mismatched on my bookshelf.

I enjoyed this, I think it'll take me a while to get out of my Otherworld mindset that I get when I read Kelley though. This comes to its own and promises to be a great series. This first book is very intriguing and keeps you reading, as well as leaving on a note that makes you NEED to buy the next on the series. Very exciting to have something from Kelley and can't wait for more .... I'll miss the Otherworld though but this promises to fill the Kelley sized part of my brain.


Book Depository: Omens
Amazon UK: Omens

Dark Mission series by Karina Cooper

So I read the first two novellas, Before the Witches and No Rest for the Witches, thanks to Netgalley. When I read the first, I loved the build up to the disaster and the break down of the world, and I vowed to read the rest of the series .... then I forgot (my bad!) and the 2nd novella became available so I read it (I did try to get the first 2 books in the series to catch up but I think I had some trouble at the time - I believe this was my pre-Kindle stage) and loved it but then realised how much I'd actually missed by not reading the first 2 books. This series (along with a couple others) is the reason I then bought a Kindle, some books were just too hard to get if you weren't a Kindle owner.

I then added the whole series to my wishlist and bought the first 3 a little later but got caught up in other stuff and never started reading them until fairly recently. As soon as I started the 3rd book, I jumped onto Amazon and bought the rest of the series so I could continue as Karina wanted - all in a one-r. I then kicked myself very hard for leaving this series for so damn long - it's fab! But partway through book 4 or 5, I decided I'd make this a big joint review of all the books and the series as a whole rather than a review of each individual book.

Before the Witches

In America, they didn't care about witches. But all that was about to change.

Katya Zhuvova fled a country that feared her gifts, but her escape to Seattle left her at the mercy of a ruthless man. With no one left to turn to, Katya hatches a desperate escape plan. Undercover Detective Nigel Ferris is determined to bring down a prostitution ring, whatever the cost. In order to the get answers he needs, he attempts to win the trust of one of the prostitutes involved - but one look at the deceptively sultry Katya and the cool, objective cop disappears. Before either can put their plans into place, Mother Nature shrugs: a cataclysm rocks Seattle, and life is turned upside down.

Brought together by chance, Nigel and Katya are in the fight for their lives. Surrounded by death and fear, shattered by immeasurable loss, they have only a bond forged in fire to cling to as they struggle to survive in a world gone straight to hell.

Blood of the Wicked

When the world went straight to hell, humanity needed a scapegoat to judge, to blame ... to burn.

As an independent witch living off the grid, Jessie Leigh has spent her life running, trying to blend in among the faceless drudges in the rebuilt city. She thought she was finally safe, but now she's been found in a New Seattle strip club - by a hard-eyed man on a mission to destroy her kind.

A soldier of the Holy Order, Silas Smith believes in the cause: trawling the fringes of society for the murderous witches who threaten what's left of the world. Forced into a twisting web of half-truths and lies, he has to stay close to the most sensuous and electrifying woman he has ever seen and manipulate her into leading him to the he witch he has to kill: her brother. Silas doesn't know that Jessie's his enemy, only that he wants her, needs her, even as he lies to her ... and must protect her until his final breath.

Lure of the Wicked

Naomi West was plucked from one prison and placed undercover in another: the gilded cage that is Timeless, New Seattle's premier spa and resort, where owner Phinneas Clarke - the most seductive man Naomi has ever met - may be hiding a killer. She's an agent of the Holy Order, trained to hunt the guilty and render justice. But while she's tracking down a rogue agent on a killing spree, Phin is determined to uncover her most damning - and dangerous - secrets. Whatever the cost.

No Rest for the Witches

New Seattle is changing. Witches and witch hunters have become allies, and the Order's grip on the city is slipping. But they won't go down without a fight ...

After the disastrous end to their last mission, Jessie, Silas, and Naomi regroup at their sanctuary far beneath New Seattle. But their brief rest is shattered when Jessie "sees" two of their own attacked topside. Dodging bullets and black magic, they risk it all on a treacherous rescue mission. Already stretched to the limit, danger waits in unexpected corners. If the Holy Order finds them, the team is as good as dead. But they can't hide forever ...

All Things Wicked

Juliet Carpenter thought of the coven as family, but when she falls for a man who betrays them all, she's left alone and desperately searching for a reason why. Caleb Leigh has spent the past year in hiding, unable to escape his demons. When Juliet finds him again, her need for vengeance clashes with the hunger still burning between them.

It's a fight born from the embers of a half-forgotten attraction and the wounds of a past too raw to ignore. With enemies circling and secrets threatening to consume them, Caleb has no choice but to fulfill a promise made long ago - protect her, save her. Even if it costs him his blood, his body ... and what's left of his mind.

Sacrifice the Wicked

Parker Adams has always done what’s expected of her ... until a double agent with nothing to lose ignites a passion she doesn't dare give in to.

Mission Agent Simon Wells is everything Parker Adams has been trained to fight: manipulator, murderer, spy ... witch. But for her, what makes Simon most dangerous is his mesmerising sexual magnetism, powerful enough to tempt even the famed ice queen of the Mission. Though she knows better, each encounter with the deceptive agent leaves her craving more.

Simon isn't a man to let go of what's his, and his pursuit forces Parker, a woman he can't get out from under his skin, to make a stand that could destroy her. If they can work together, they might survive the politics that have enslaved their devastated world - or fall victim to the pitfalls of desperation, bone-deep mistrust, and a hunger that threatens to consume them.

Wicked Lies

In this Dark Mission novella, Jonas Stone emerges from the shadows into his own story, and finally allows himself to have the same shot at love he's given his friends.

Jonas Stone has been given his first independent operation: rescue the insurrection leader's imprisoned grandson from the Mission. Getting the job done means more than getting Danny Granger out - it means staying with him while he heals. Staying too close, for way too long.

Danny is everything Jonas isn't: confident, optimistic, honest - a man to be reckoned with. If only it didn't mean going against everything Jonas has planned. He's kept his secrets for years, hid behind a mask no one could see through ... until now. Danny isn't the kind of man Jonas deserves. But he might be exactly the man he needs ...

One for the Wicked

Dr. Kayleigh Lauderdale possesses the only cure for what's killing the city's witches. Desperate to acquire it, the resistance sends their best agent, but Shawn Lowe has his own agenda, and it doesn't include saving anyone - least of all, the daughter of his sworn enemy. He has to ignore the blistering attraction he feels the instant they meet, because he can't give in until he gets what he wants. He just never counted on wanting her ...

Kayleigh can't believe how out of control Shawn makes her feel. He lies to her with one breath and excites her beyond reason the next. A reckless encounter could steal her heart, while the danger hovering over the city may prove too much for either of them to handle. When the world turns upside down, it will take everything Kayleigh and Shawn have to hold on ... to life, to hope, to each other.

I've already said it in the review for Before the Witches but I'm going to say it again - I love this world. I love that Karina ripped our world apart and broke us down, she took the human race back to the times of witch fearing and burning. To a time of the Inquisition where people just needed to blame someone and witches were too against the "word of god" or whatever.

The Mission take orphans and raise them to be missionaries - witch hunters. The witches keep hidden and try to survive.  Each book in the series brings us a relationship that's against the odds, a couple that shouldn't be coming together under difficult situations.

I highly recommend this series.  In a way, I'm glad I waited until the last book was out before I read it because it meant I didn't have that agonising wait between releases.  But I'm still sad the series is done, it was a good series and I feel like there still might be story to tell - hopefully Karina Cooper may bring us future novellas from the world.  In the meantime, I'll be trying out her St. Croix Chronicles series.


Book Depository:
Before the Witches
Blood of the Wicked
Lure of the Wicked
No Rest for the Witches
All Things Wicked
Sacrifice the Wicked
Wicked Lies
One for the Wicked
Amazon UK:
Before the Witches
Blood of the Wicked
Lure of the Wicked
No Rest for the Witches
All Things Wicked
Sacrifice the Wicked
Wicked Lies
One for the Wicked

Do you know what could poison your pet?

Every so often a case comes into work that prompts me to write a blog post about it.  This time I decided to write about poisonous things that you may or may not know are poisonous, either in your house or when you're out walking the dog.

I used the BSAVA/VPIS Guide to Common Canine and Feline Poisons to help me.  It was put together by the BSAVA and the VPIS to aid Veterinary practices.  We can contact the VPIS at any time for advice on a case but they decided to put this book together using their most common cases.

Obviously, this list is very limited.  There are a great many poisonous things out there, and I've chosen to only list a few drugs but, generally speaking, if you're pet eats any of your medication you should contact your Vet as soon as possible.  Not every medication is bad but most of them can lead to problems, especially if ingested in excess.

I've also not listed any actual poisons, for example slug and rat bait, weed and plant killer.  I felt those were kind of obvious but in case they're not ...... THEY'RE POISONOUS!  If your pet ingests any of them or gets them on their coat, contact your Vet as soon as possible.

Another one I've not listed but is common, especially in the winter, is Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze), it is sweet tasting so pets want to lick it and it is EXTREMELY toxic to them.

As I said, this list is limited, I've tried to keep it to common and/or household toxins.  I'll be listing the onset times of clinical signs as well as what the clinical signs are.  In those lists there may be some words you don't know, I have made a list at the end of any words I think readers may have trouble with.  If there's a word you don't know and I haven't listed it at the end, let me know in the comments.

So on with the list, to keep it simple I'll be using the alphabet as my guide.

Alcohol (Ethanol) poisoning in dogs

Onset of clinical signs within 1-2 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Excitability & agitation then depression
• Ataxia
• Vocalisation
• Drowsiness

Other signs are

• Coma
• Hyperthermia
• Hypoglycaemia
• Urinary incontinence

Treatment of alcohol toxicity

• Induction of emesis
• Monitor & correct hypoglycaemia if present
• Supportive care

Alkali poisoning in cats

Alkalis are present in a number of household products – drain cleaners, oven cleaners, paint stripper, dishwasher products

Onset of clinical signs soon after exposure (as quick as minutes), burns may be painless initially and not immediately evident. Burn onset is dependent on the concentration and volume of alkali and the duration of contact

Common signs are

With ingestion:

• Burning pain in mouth, oesophagus & stomach
• Swelling of lips
• Vomiting
• Haematemesis
• Hypersalivation
• Ulcerative mucosal burns
• Dyspnoea
• Dysphagia
• Shock

Skin/eye contact:

• Deep penetrating burns and necrosis

Other signs are

• Acute complications such as gastrointestinal haemorrhage
• Upper airway obstruction
• Oesophageal stricture

Treatment of alkali toxicity or burns

With ingestion:

• Oral fluids unless severe injury indicates otherwise
• Endoscopy to assess degree of injury
• Analgesia
• Supportive care

Skin/eye contact:

• Irrigation
• Frequent pH testing and further irrigation if required
• Supportive care

Caffeine toxicity in dogs

Onset of clinical signs within 1-3 hours

Dogs with cardiac disease are at a higher risk

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Tachycardia
• Ataxia
• Tachypnoea
• Hyperthermia
• Diuresis
• Dilated pupils
• Polydipsia
• Hyperaesthesia
• Excitation
• Hyperactivity
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Agitation
• Twitching
• Convulsions

Other signs are

• Hypertension
• Cyanosis
• Coma

Treatment of caffeine toxicity

• Oral activated charcoal
• Hydration & anti-emetics if required
• Treat hyperactivity and convulsions if required
• Supportive care

Chocolate toxicity in dogs

Theobromine is the name of the toxic part of chocolate. The darker the chocolate the more Theobromine per gram. Dogs are also at risk from the use of cocoa shells instead of, for example, bark in gardens.

Onset of clinical signs usually within 4 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Abdominal tenderness
• Hypersalivation
• Polydipsia
• Polyuria
• Excitability
• Tachycardia (sometimes bradycardia)
• Ataxia
• Mild hypertension

Other signs are

• Muscle rigidity
• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Tachypnoea
• Hyperthermia
• Cyanosis
• Renal dysfunction

Treatment for chocolate toxicity if >9g/kg milk chocolate ingested or >1.25g/kg dark chocolate ingested

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Hydration & anti-emetics if required
• Supportive care

Colchicium Autumnale ingestion in dogs (Wiki page on Colchicum Autumnale)

Alternative names

• Colchicium
• Autumn crocus
• Meadow saffron

Onset of clinical signs within 48 hours

Common signs are

• Gastrointestinal irritation
• Hyperthermia
• Renal impairment
• Liver impairment

Other signs are

• Weakness
• Dehydration
• Recumbency
• Collapse
• Shock secondary to gastrointestinal irritation

Treatment of colchicium autumnale ingestion

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Intravenous fluids
• Gut protectants
• Repeated blood samples to check renal and hepatic function
• Supportive care

Cordyline & Dracaena ingestion in cats (Wiki page on Cordyline and Wiki page on Dracaena)

Onset of clinical signs within a few hours

Common signs are

• Hypersalivation
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal tenderness
• Depression
• Tachycardia
• Ataxia
• Dilated pupils
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Dyspnoea

Other signs are

• Renal failure
• Jaundice
• Hyperthermia

Treatment of cordyline and dracaena ingestion

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Repeated blood samples to check renal and hepatic function
• Supportive care

Lily toxicity in cats

The pollen of the lily is the usual source of ingestion. If the pollen gets on the fur, the cat will then groom it off and ingest it but there is also a risk if the cat eats the petals.

Onset of clinical signs usually 2-6 hours, 24-72 hours for renal impairment to become apparent

Cats with pre-existing renal impairment are at higher risk

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Anorexia
• Depression
• Renal failure

Other signs are

• Polyuria
• Polydipsia
• Pancreatitis
• Convulsions

Treatment of lily toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Wash off any pollen on skin or fur
• Intravenous fluids
• Repeated blood tests to monitor renal function
• Supportive care

Nicotine toxicity in dogs

Onset of clinical signs within 15-90 minutes

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Hypersalivation
• Pale mucous membranes
• Ataxia
• Tremors
• Tachycardia
• Tachypnoea
• Hypertension, followed by bradycardia
• Hypotension

Other signs are

• Convulsions
• Coma

Treatment of nicotine toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Supportive care

Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drug toxicity in cats & dogs (Wiki page on NSAIDs)

Onset of clinical signs within 2-6 hours

Animals with dehydration, hypotension and/or pre-existing renal impairment are at higher risk

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Meleana
• Haematemesis
• Abdominal tenderness
• Ataxia
• Inappetance
• Polyuria
• Polydipsia
• Nausea
• Pale or congested mucous membranes
• Weakness
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Renal failure
• Gastric ulceration

Other signs are

• Tremors
• Drowsiness
• Convulsions
• Dyspnoea
• Hyperaesthesia
• Tachycardia

Treatment of NSAID toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Intravenous fluids
• Repeated blood tests to monitor renal function
• Gut protectants
• Supportive care

Oak/Acorn ingestion in dogs

Onset of clinical signs within 1-24 hours

Common signs are

• Retching
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal tenderness
• Lethargy
• Depression

Other signs are

• Meleana
• Haematemesis
• Shaking
• Urticaria
• Gastrointestinal obstruction
• Renal and liver damage

Treatment for oak/acorn toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Adequate hydration & anti-emetics if required
• Repeated blood tests to monitor renal and hepatic function
• Supportive care

Onion toxicity in dogs

Baby food has quite a high concentration of onions. I mention this because a lot of dog owners may use baby food to hide crushed tablets in.

Onset of clinical signs is sometimes within 24 hours but more common after several days

Japanese and Korean breeds are at a higher risk

Common signs are

• Inappetance
• Vomiting
• Abdominal discomfort
• Diarrhoea
• Heinz body anaemia

Other signs are

• Jaundice

Treatment of onion toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Repeated blood tests to monitor haematological parameters
• Adequate hydration
• Supportive care

Paracetamol toxicity in cats & dogs

As little as a single 500mg tablet is toxic to cats

Onset of clinical signs within 4-12 hours, liver impairment apparent within 24 hours

Cats that are malnourished, anorexic and on current treatment with enzyme inducing drugs are at a higher risk

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Depression
• Brown mucous membranes
• Tachycardia
• Tachypnoea
• Dyspnoea
• Hypothermia
• Facial & paw oedema (less common in cats)

Other signs are

• Renal damage

Treatment of paracetamol toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Repeated blood tests to monitor renal & hepatic function
• Vitamin C
• Oxygen therapy
• Supportive care

Prognosis much more guarded in cats

Pot Pourri ingestion in dogs

Onset of clinical signs within 12 hours, sometimes 24-48 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Anorexia
• Abdominal pain
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Ataxia,
• diarrhoea
• dehydration

Other signs are

• Hypersalivation
• Haemorrhagic diarrhoea
• Collapse
• Convulsions
• Renal failure

Treatment for pot pourri ingestion

• Adequate hydration & anti-emetics if required
• Gut protectants
• Analgesia
• Supportive care

Quinine toxicity in dogs (Wiki page on Cinchona)

Quinine is in the bark of the Cinchona tree

Onset of clinical signs within 15 minutes – 2 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Lethargy
• Ataxia
• Tachycardia
• Hypotension
• Dilated pupils
• Hyperaesthesia
• Tremors

Other signs are

• Blindness
• Collapse
• Convulsions
• Cyanosis

Treatment of quinine toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Adequate hydration
• Repeated blood tests to monitor electrolytes
• Treatment for convulsions
• Intravenous fluids

Raisins/Grapes/Currants/Sultanas toxicity in dogs

Onset of clinical signs within 6-24 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Hypersalivation
• Haematemesis
• Bloody stools
• Anorexia
• Ataxia
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Acute renal failure

Other signs are

• Haematuria
• Polydipsia
• Pancreatitis

Treatment of grape/raisin/currant/sultana toxicity

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Intravenous fluids
• Repeated blood tests to monitor renal function
• Supportive care

Salt toxicity in dogs

2-3g/kg of Sodium Chloride is enough to be considered toxic, ingestion of 4g/kg is considered lethal

Onset of clinical signs (vomiting) within a few minutes, (neurological) 1 – several hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Tremors
• Polydipsia
• Dehydration
• Ataxia
• Weakness
• Tachycardia
• Tachypnoea
• Neurological signs progress to seizures, coma & death if severe

Other signs are

• Muscular rigidity
• Convulsions
• Coma
• Renal failure

Treatment of salt toxicity

• Induction of emesis
• Repeated blood tests to monitor blood glucose & renal function
• Intravenous fluids
• Supportive care

Tremorgenic Mycotoxin ingestion in dogs

These are fungal metabolites found in mouldy food

Onset of clinical signs 30 minutes – 3 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Ataxia
• Muscle tremors
• Rigidity with hyperextension of extremities
• Hyperactivity
• Hyperaesthesia
• Tachycardia
• Panting
• Tachypnoea
• Nystagmus
• Dilated pupils
• In severe cases tremors, convulsions & coma

Other signs are

• Risk of aspiration of vomit

Treatment of tremorgenic mycotoxin ingestion

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Adequate hydration & anti-emetics if required
• Cooling if required
• Treatment of convulsions
• Supportive care

Vitamin D Compound ingestion in dogs

Commonly found in Psoriasis creams

Onset of clinical signs 6-12 hours

Dogs with pre-existing renal impairment are at a higher risk

Common signs are

• Polydipsia
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Polyuria

Other signs are

• Renal failure
• Cardiac impairment
• Shock

Treatment of Vitamin D ingestion

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Adequate hydration & anti-emetics if required
• Repeated blood tests to monitor renal function
• Gut protectants

Xylitol ingestion in dogs

Commonly found in artificial sweeteners, chewing gum & nicotine replacement products. Food additive E967 stimulates insulin release & causes hypoglycaemia

Onset of clinical signs within 2 hours, hepatic effects can be delayed up to 72 hours

Common signs are

• Vomiting
• Tachycardia
• Ataxia
• Drowsiness
• Coma
• Convulsions
• Collapse

Other signs are

• Liver failure

Treatment of xylitol ingestion

• Induction of emesis & oral activated charcoal
• Repeated blood tests to monitor blood glucose levels & hepatic function & treatment as required

DEFINITIONS

Again I've just went alphabetical to make it easier to look up

Anti-emetic – Drug to help stop vomiting

Ataxia – Lack of coordination. Wobbly and uncoordinated gait

Bradycardia – Slow heart rate

Cyanosis – Blue mucous membranes due to lack of Oxygen

Diuresis – Increased frequency of urination

Dysphagia – Difficulty eating/swallowing

Dyspnoea – Difficulty breathing

Haematemesis – Blood in vomit

Haematuria – Blood in urine

Hepatic – Relating to the liver

Hypoglycaemia – Low blood glucose levels

Hypothermia – Low temperature

Hyperaesthesia – Increased sensitivity to external stimuli

Hypersalivation – Increased salivation

Hypertension – Increased blood pressure

Hyperthermia – Increased temperature

Induction of emesis – Administer drugs to induce vomiting

Meleana – Black, tarry faeces usually associated with gastrointestinal haemorrhage

Mucous membranes – Gums, inside eyelids

Nystagmus – Flickering eyes, can be either horizontal or vertical

Oedema – Fluid accumulating under the skin where it shouldn't

Oesophageal stricture – Narrowing or tightening of the oesophagus

Polydipsia – Increased drinking

Polyuria – Increased urination

Renal – Relating to the kidney

Tachycardia – Fast heart rate

Tachypnoea – Fast respiration rate

Urticaria – Commonly referred to as Hives