Canine public servants: caring for drug detection dogs

Dogs are utilized more and more to seek out illicit and hazardous substances under the guidance of humans. Therefore, veterinarians, dog handlers, and pharmacists must all collaborate to ensure adequate protection, treatment, and care for detection dogs in the line of duty. Ideally, veterinarians and pharmacists can work together to train and equip dog handlers with state of the art instructions and animal emergency kits that can provide life-saving decontamination at the site of exposure. Pharmacists can collaborate with veterinarians to provide animal emergency kits containing essential treatment aids such as apomorphine, hydrogen peroxide, activated charcoal/sorbitol cathartic suspension, ocular irrigants, and instructions and associated devices for administration. Immediate intervention provides the best prognosis for canine heroes that suffer exposure to occupational toxicological hazards.