Pet Poison Prevention Month
Spring cleaning is (hopefully) fast approaching! While it feels great to have a freshly cleaned home, numerous seemingly unproblematic household items and foods can be harmful to your pets. Knowing what the potential dangers in your house and on the go are can keep them safe and prevent accidental poisoning through contact and ingestion. Many poisons are fast-acting, so knowing the source of the problem can save time and possibly your fur baby's life!
Safe While Clean
While it may be obvious to keep mice and insect traps well out of reach of your pets, most household cleaners contain harmful chemicals as well. Side effects of ingestion can range from burning your pet's mouth and esophagus to liver and kidney failure. Keep all solvents and cleaners securely away from your pets, and keep an eye on your pets while using any cleaners to make sure they're not getting into bottles or licking recently cleaned surfaces that contain traces of chemical cleaners. This also includes being aware of where mop water is when in use, and keeping them from accessing the toilet bowl if you use a flush-activated cleaning agent.
If you have professional cleaners, painters, or exterminators come to your home, ask for the EPA registration numbers or the names of the products being used. With that information on hand in advance, if ingestion does occur, you can quickly get proper guidance from poison control.
Seeds of Success
Preparing for a new growing season can be just as exciting as a revitalized home, but there are many plants that can pose health risks to your pets. If you're ever in doubt about a plant, check the ASPCA Toxic Plant Lists HERE. Toxic plants can have symptoms as minor as mouth irritation or as severe as kidney failure. Many common house and garden plants, such as lilies, tulips, and azaleas, can have dire consequences for your pets if ingested, including organ failure and cardiac arrest.
Always check before bringing a new plant into your home or letting your pets play around plants outside. Any potentially toxic plants should be kept out of reach, and pets should be watched while outdoors so you know if ingestion has occurred.
Watch What They Eat
It may seem straightforward to keep chemicals and plants away from your pets, but many pet toxins you may not even think about, because they are completely non-toxic (and even delicious!) to humans. Most people know that chocolate is toxic to pets and that cats and dogs shouldn't eat grapes and raisins. But there is a long list of human food that is dangerous to pets, from avocado and Xylitol artificial sweetener to nuts and raw meat. The best thing to do for your pet is to skip human food altogether so a treat doesn't become an emergency vet visit.
Because the way that pets metabolize differs from humans, it's also important to avoid trying to remedy them with human medication. While ibuprofen may help alleviate your pain and headaches, even small amounts can cause gastrointestinal ulcers or even kidney failure in dogs. If you feel your pet needs medicine to treat a condition or illness, call your vet or schedule a visit instead to receive proper medication and care instructions.
When It's Too Late For Prevention
Despite our best efforts as pet parents, you can't always plan for every eventuality. At some point, nearly every pet will chew on something or consume something that they shouldn't. If you know your pet has ingested something that is potentially harmful to them, you can quickly get help by calling the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control line at (888)426-4435 (consultation fees apply). Expert helplines like these can evaluate the danger to your pet based on your specific animal and the specific poison they came in contact with. They can also recommend appropriate at-home treatment for more mild incidents, or let you know if an emergency vet visit is needed.
You can learn more about common pet poisons and how to avoid ingestion HERE.
Spring cleaning is (hopefully) fast approaching! While it feels great to have a freshly cleaned home, numerous seemingly unproblematic household items and foods can be harmful to your pets. Knowing what the potential dangers in your house and on the go are can keep them safe and prevent accidental poisoning through contact and ingestion. Many poisons are fast-acting, so knowing the source of the problem can save time and possibly your fur baby's life!
Safe While Clean
While it may be obvious to keep mice and insect traps well out of reach of your pets, most household cleaners contain harmful chemicals as well. Side effects of ingestion can range from burning your pet's mouth and esophagus to liver and kidney failure. Keep all solvents and cleaners securely away from your pets, and keep an eye on your pets while using any cleaners to make sure they're not getting into bottles or licking recently cleaned surfaces that contain traces of chemical cleaners. This also includes being aware of where mop water is when in use, and keeping them from accessing the toilet bowl if you use a flush-activated cleaning agent.
If you have professional cleaners, painters, or exterminators come to your home, ask for the EPA registration numbers or the names of the products being used. With that information on hand in advance, if ingestion does occur, you can quickly get proper guidance from poison control.
Seeds of Success
Preparing for a new growing season can be just as exciting as a revitalized home, but there are many plants that can pose health risks to your pets. If you're ever in doubt about a plant, check the ASPCA Toxic Plant Lists HERE. Toxic plants can have symptoms as minor as mouth irritation or as severe as kidney failure. Many common house and garden plants, such as lilies, tulips, and azaleas, can have dire consequences for your pets if ingested, including organ failure and cardiac arrest.
Always check before bringing a new plant into your home or letting your pets play around plants outside. Any potentially toxic plants should be kept out of reach, and pets should be watched while outdoors so you know if ingestion has occurred.
Watch What They Eat
It may seem straightforward to keep chemicals and plants away from your pets, but many pet toxins you may not even think about, because they are completely non-toxic (and even delicious!) to humans. Most people know that chocolate is toxic to pets and that cats and dogs shouldn't eat grapes and raisins. But there is a long list of human food that is dangerous to pets, from avocado and Xylitol artificial sweetener to nuts and raw meat. The best thing to do for your pet is to skip human food altogether so a treat doesn't become an emergency vet visit.
Because the way that pets metabolize differs from humans, it's also important to avoid trying to remedy them with human medication. While ibuprofen may help alleviate your pain and headaches, even small amounts can cause gastrointestinal ulcers or even kidney failure in dogs. If you feel your pet needs medicine to treat a condition or illness, call your vet or schedule a visit instead to receive proper medication and care instructions.
When It's Too Late For Prevention
Despite our best efforts as pet parents, you can't always plan for every eventuality. At some point, nearly every pet will chew on something or consume something that they shouldn't. If you know your pet has ingested something that is potentially harmful to them, you can quickly get help by calling the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control line at (888)426-4435 (consultation fees apply). Expert helplines like these can evaluate the danger to your pet based on your specific animal and the specific poison they came in contact with. They can also recommend appropriate at-home treatment for more mild incidents, or let you know if an emergency vet visit is needed.
You can learn more about common pet poisons and how to avoid ingestion HERE.