Bringing your pet to the veterinary clinic is necessary if you have discovered your pet digging in your garden and then becoming ill, or if he has ingested an amaryllis plant in a pot within the home. If you are aware of what your dog has eaten bring a sample of it along to the veterinarian’s office as this will aid in the diagnosis, as well as indicate to the veterinary team the level of toxicity that needs to be addressed.
Depending on the condition of your dog when he arrives at the clinic, the veterinarian may begin with a physical examination that includes weight verification, blood pressure, heart rate and pulse. Helpful information that you can provide at this time would be recent illnesses your pet may have had, medications he may be on presently or of late, how much of the plant or bulb you believe was ingested, the timing of the event, and when the symptoms started.
If your pet has been vomiting and is showing signs of distress, the veterinarian may order blood tests to check the electrolyte levels which could be affected by dehydration. Often, the veterinary team will want to be sure that your pet does not have any underlying health concerns that could be further exacerbated by the amaryllis poisoning. In addition, if your pet is older, there is the possibility that organs (particularly the liver) could be affected, so a baseline verification of blood markers can be a good idea.