Police Dogs Leap into Toxic Training Situation

Pet Toxicology Experts Share the Reverse Rescue During National Service Dog Month

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Law enforcement officers and their canine partners are often seen leaping into dangerous situations to save others, but what happens when these heroic animals find themselves in a toxic situation? Their handler calls the experts at Pet Poison Helpline.

"It was a very good lesson," said Jordan Cross, K-9 Deputy at the Missoula County Sheriff's Office in Montana. "We were doing a joint training session with the SWAT team when two of our department's canines, Xander and Django, had a chemical exposure. We use two types of material. One is CS (2-chlorobenzylidene malonitrile) tear gas, and the other is HC (hexachloroethane) smoke. The dogs did well with the gas, but we made an error with the smoke. It is supposed to be used in an open environment, but we used a higher concentration in an area that had a shed, and smoke accumulated in the building. When the canines went into the environment, there was too much smoke concentrated in a confined area. Basically, our poor planning negatively affected their airways."

According to Deputy Cross, Django immediately became lethargic and then vomited a short time later. They rested for 15 minutes, but the dog vomited again and coughed up mucus. After monitoring them overnight, both animals continued to show respiratory signs and were taken to the Ancare Veterinary Clinic in Missoula. The medical team then called Pet Poison Helpline.

"Law enforcement officers are used to dealing with emergency situations, and fortunately so are we," said Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. "The dogs had a strong reaction to the HC smoke, which creates zinc chloride when it is discharged. Since September is National Service Dog Month, and police officers are also lifesavers, we thought it was a perfect time to share their story."

Once at the clinic, the medical team worked with Pet Poison Helpline to develop a treatment plan that included oxygen therapy, pain medications, chest x-rays and several gastrointestinal protectants. The team was also concerned with the dogs' liver function. Fortunately, the canines were successfully treated and have fully recovered from their training mishap and are back at work.

"This was the first time Xander and Django experienced live gas and smoke," Deputy Cross added. "The point was to get them used to it, so they'd be ready when the real thing happens. We'll know what to correct in the future, and that's the point of training. We all learned from this mistake."

Pet Poison Helpline created Toxin Tails to educate the veterinary community and pet lovers on the many types of poisoning dangers facing pets, both in and out of the home. All the pets highlighted in Toxin Tails have been successfully treated for the poisoning and fully recovered.

About Pet Poison Helpline

Pet Poison Helpline®, your trusted source for toxicology and pet health advice in times of potential emergency, is available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Per incident and subscription service options are available. We are an independent, nationally recognized animal poison control center triple licensed by the Boards of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy providing unmatched professional leadership and expertise. Our veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists provide treatment advice for all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline's fee of $89 per incident includes follow-up consultations for the duration of the case. The company also offers pethelpline^(SM) and pethelplinePRO^(SM) subscription services directly to pet lovers. Based in Minneapolis, Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling 800-213-6680. Additional information can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

Contact: Curtis Steinhoff
Pet Poison Helpline®
(602) 300-8466
[email protected] 

SOURCE Pet Poison Helpline