Written By: Rachel Holly
No matter how careful and conscientious a pet owner you may be, anyone can have an accident. With their naturally curious nature, pets have a propensity to get themselves in trouble rather easily. Unfortunately, that trouble is often ingesting something toxic. Many ordinary household items can be harmful, even lethal, to dogs, cats, and other pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center releases an annual list of the top toxins for pets. Last year the organization tallied over 400,000 cases of poisoning, most involving toxic products most of us have in our homes. Here is the list of top toxins that pets need to avoid.
Human OTC Medication
For several years, over-the-counter drugs have ranked at the top of the list. Keep medications out of the reach of pets and be careful for dropped tablets in the bathroom, near nightstands, or wherever you normally take your meds. If you carry meds in your purse or backpack, don’t leave them lying on the floor where pets can go snooping. The APCC doesn’t differentiate between cases of accidental ingestion and owners trying to treat their pets themselves so just to make it clear- do not give your ailing pet any human medication unless directed by your veterinarian. This not only includes medicine but human vitamins and supplements as well.
Human Food and Drinks
Giving Fido a few bits of table scraps can make him very sick if it’s the wrong food. Also keep food off the counters and use garbage cans with lids or place them under the sink. Drinks such as alcohol, coffee, and artificially sweetened beverages are highly dangerous as well.
Prescription Meds
As with OTC meds, keep these completely inaccessible to pets. The APCC cites heart medications and inhalers are the most common culprits.
Chocolate
Cats are not as inclined toward sweets, so it’s usually dogs that go for the chocolate. Watch out especially around holidays. This also goes for foods like cakes, cookies or muffins that have chocolate as an ingredient.
Veterinary Medications/Products
They’re often flavored to make dosing easier but this can also make vet meds yummy treats to pets. See to it they are kept completely out of reach.
Plants
Many plants are toxic to pets. Watch what plants you bring indoors as well as what is planted out in the yard. The ASPCA has a complete list of toxic plants to eliminate from your home.
Household Products
Cleaning products, detergents, disinfectants are obvious toxins but watch out for air fresheners, soaps, deodorants, potpourri, perfumes, and beauty products. Batteries were actually one of the most common items ingested.
Rat Poison
This one should be common sense and should never be used anywhere there are pets but be aware that rodents can scoot traps around and make them easier for pets to find.
Insecticides
Like rat poison, it’s designed to kill so it’s certainly dangerous for pets. Store these in places completely off limits to your furry friends.
Recreational Drugs
Again, any drugs pose a potentially lethal threat to dogs and cats if ingested. The APC Center reported the biggest increase in mushroom exposure.
A few things to remember:
If it’s bad for you to eat, just assume it’s bad for them as well.
If it’s full of chemicals, it’s potentially toxic.
Dogs tend to be more indiscriminate about what they eat than cats. On the other hand, cats can jump and access higher places like counters and shelves.
If you pet does come in contact with any of these or other toxins, contact your vet immediately or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. Try to determine what and how much your pet may have ingested – A small size candy bar or a whole box? Was the pill bottle just refilled or half empty? This will help your vet significantly in determining the best course of treatment.
While there are treatment methods used by veterinarians to counter toxicity, the sad fact is that they can’t always save the pet’s life. Due to the pet’s overall health, the type and amount of poison ingested, how long it was in their system, and other factors, many animals do not recover. Prevention is the key here. By knowing what household items to keep Fido and Fluffy away from, you may be able to avoid a heartbreaking emergency and give your pet the best chance of a long healthy life.
Resource: ASPCA
