How Can We Help?
Poison Prevention: Common Household Hazards
Hey Pet Parents, did you know an important anniversary is coming up the week of March 18-24, 2019? It is the 50th anniversary of Poison Prevention Week. So, how do we accomplish making our homes safe for our animal companions?
Bathroom
- Keep all medications, even over-the-counter products, inhalers and dietary supplements, locked up in secure cupboards. Do not leave them where they can be reached even for a minute while you run to the bathroom.
- Never medicate your pets with human products without first contacting your veterinarian. Common human medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) are extremely poisonous to pets.
- Keep pets away from cleaning products and out of the room while using bathroom cleansers or other cleaning products. Close the toilet lids to keep them from drinking the water, especially if you use automatic chemical tank or bowl treatment.
Garage
- Keep glues out of reach. Some glues can expand greatly once ingested and require surgical removal.
- Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) products are extremely toxic and, unfortunately, have a sweet taste that may be appealing to pets. Choose propylene glycol-based antifreeze as a safer alternative.
- Keep all automotive products, such as windshield cleaner fluid or brake fluid, away from pets as they may contain methanol, a toxic alcohol similar to ethylene glycol antifreeze.
- I’m going to harp on Teflon™ like products again. Another significant danger to birds comes from heaters and heat lamps that are coated with Teflon™ like material. When used around birds, these heat sources can also be detrimental to your feathered friends.
 Yard and Garden
- Some dogs like the taste of certain fertilizers, such as bone meal or blood meal. Keep bags tightly sealed and out of their reach.
- Grub or snail killers, especially those that include metaldehyde, can be harmful to pets.
- Yard insecticides that contain organophosphates or carbamates can be dangerous if ingested. Also, keep pets off lawns until commercially sprayed herbicides and insecticides have dried.
- Keep rodenticides (rat and mouse poison) far away from pets and be mindful that rodents can transfer the products to locations accessible by pets. If you need to use rodenticides in your home, consult your veterinarian in order to select one that is safest for your pet.
- When using insecticides in your home or on your pets, read the label carefully. Never use flea and tick products meant for dogs on your cat!!
- Here is a short and non-inclusive list of common things you find around your home that are known to be hazardous to your pets. There is some redundancy in the list, but I find it better to go a bit overboard when discussing pet safety.
- Alcohol
- Avocado
- Chocolate, Coffee and Caffeine
- Citrus
- Coconut and Coconut Oil
- Grapes and Raisins
- Macadamia Nuts
- Milk and Dairy
- Nuts
- Onions, Garlic, Chives
- Raw/Undercooked Meat, Eggs and Bones
- Salt and Salty Snack Foods
- Xylitol
- Yeast Dough
- Bleach
- Carpet Fresheners
- Carpet Shampoo
- Essential Oils
- Fabric Softener Sheets
- Grout
- Toilet Cleaning Tablets
- Adderall
- Petroleum Jelly
- Aspirin, Baby Aspirin
- Bar Soap and Face Wash
- Breath Fresheners
- Cigarettes and Nicotine Patches
- E-cigarette liquid
- Ibuprofen and Naproxen
- Kaopectate and Pepto Bismol
- Mosquito Repellent
- Pseudoephedrine (and other nasal decongestants)
- Sorbitol
- Topical Creams/Ointments
Remember, be proactive and do everything you can to keep your pet safe around your home. If the unexpected should happen and you think your pet may have ingested something harmful, take action immediately. Contact your veterinarian or one of the poison control numbers you have on your refrigerator or already have stored in your phone. Don’t delay or wait a while to see what happens. Act quickly and follow the advice the professionals on the phone or at your vet’s office provides. Your best friend’s life may depend on it.
I wanted to close by once again mentioning the ASPCA Animal Poison Control App. It is a truly incredible tool. Information found in the app comes from the expert veterinary staff at APCC, which has handled over 2.5 million cases of pets exposed to potentially toxic substances. Here are a few of its features:
-
- Searchable database of hundreds of different substances including: household hazards, medications and warm and cold weather toxins commonly found in or around a pet’s surroundings.
- Details for each toxin including: scientific name, common names, sample images, severity of exposure and potential symptoms for at-risk dogs, cats, horses, and birds.
- Color-coding to help you identify the toxins of most concern.
- Chocolate and rodenticide poison calculators to determine severity level.
- One-touch speed-dialing to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Meet Petland’s Consulting Veterinarian, Dr.