A poison is any substance harmful to the body. Dogs, being curious by nature, tend to explore out-of-the-way places such as wood piles, weed thickets, and storage areas. These environs put them into contact with insects, dead animals, toxic plants, and poison baits. It also means the exact cause of poisoning will not be known in many cases. Intentional, malicious poisoning is a factor to consider whenever a dog is found dead without apparent cause. However, several studies have shown that most cases of sudden death are caused by accidents and natural events. Malicious poisoning does occur, but it is far less common than accidental poisoning. General recommendations for the treatment of poisoning are discussed in the next section. In the sections that follow, specific poisons are discussed in the order in which they are most frequently seen by veterinarians.