With home breweries being more and more prominent, this is a newer cause for concern. Brewers use either hops plugs or hops pellets for the brewing process. Both are toxic and the plugs tend to be more toxic than the pellets. The toxic properties are unknown, but there are several elements contained within, such as essential oils, resins, phenolic compounds, and/or nitrogenous compounds that could be the active agents. If a dog has ingested any of the hops, the critical time is 6 hours. Certain breeds are more prone to these dangers; Greyhounds, Labrador Retrievers, Saint Benards, various Pointers, Doberman Pinschers, Border Collies, English Springer Spaniels, and other various northern breeds. Symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Increased Respiratory Rate
- Increased Heart Rate
- Anxiety
- Vomiting
- Abnormal Clotting