I know this is a food site but now and then I run across something that needs to be posted to as many people as possible. The information I'm posting today has to do with those wonderful, furry little babies that we call our pets. If you're a pet lover like me, please copy this information and keep it handy. It's one of the best lists of toxins that are poisonous that I've ever seen.
Both known and unknown toxins can be found hiding in our houses and yards. In
2011, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, fielded
more than 165,900 phone calls about pets exposed to poisonous substances.
Visit our poison app on Facebook.
1.
Prescription Human
Medications
Almost 25,000 calls last year were about human prescription
medications. Pets, especially dogs, are notorious for ingesting any dropped
pill. Cardiac and ADHD medications make up a large percentage of these
calls. Always make sure to take these medications in a safe place away from
your pets.
2.
Insecticides
Insecticides were the subject of 11% of calls
to the ASPCA in 2011. These include products used on the lawn, in the house
and on the pet. The most important thing to do is read the label before you
use any insecticide, and never use a product labeled for dogs on cats.
3.
Over-the-Counter Human Medications
Over-the-counter medications such as
ibuprofen and acetaminophen can kill your pet. Never give any medication to
your pet without consulting with your veterinarian first.
4.
People Food
Chocolate is still the number one people food that pets ingest (we received
over 7,600 calls last year). Too much chocolate can cause vomiting,
diarrhea, high heart rate and seizures. The second most common food is
xylitol (the sugar substitute). Xylitol can cause seizures and liver failure
in dogs.
5.
Household Products
It is amazing what animals can find
to chew up around the house from fire logs to paint. Some household items
may just cause stomach upset, while others can be deadly.
6.
Veterinary
Medications
Chewable medications make it easy to give your dog or cat a
pill. However, this tasty pill can also mean that the pet, if given access,
will ingest all the pills in the bottle. Always make sure to keep pet
medications out of reach. Contact your veterinarian if your pet ingests more
than its proper dose of
medication or ingests another pet’s
medication.
7.
Rodenticides
When putting out baits to kill mice and rats,
never underestimate the resourcefulness of your pet. Most bait is grain
based and is attractive to dogs. Depending on the type of rodenticide,
ingestion can cause internal bleeding, kidney failure or seizures.
8.
Plants
About 4% of our phone calls are pet parents calling about their
animals eating plants. This is one category that cats lead dogs in the
number of exposures. Lilies can cause kidney failure and death in cats.
Please see our list of toxic/non-toxic plants for more information.
9.
Lawn and Garden Products
Fertilizers, which can be made of dried
blood, poultry manure and bone meal, are very attractive to pets, so it is
not surprising that we get many calls (almost 3,900 in 2011) on lawn and
garden items.
10.
Automotive Products
With more people keeping their
animals inside (especially cats), the number of animals exposed to
automotive products (antifreeze, brake fluid, etc.) has dropped. This is
great news since many of these products, if ingested, can be
life-threatening to pets.
If you have any reason to suspect your pet has
ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the
Animal
Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.
