March 21st-March 27th is Poison Prevention Week.
March 21st-March 27th is Poison Prevention Week. While pets are family members, that doesn’t mean that they can eat food that people can. While it may be hard to say “no” to your canine companion or feline friend as they beg for a piece of your delicious food, you must do so to prevent gastrointestinal problems or worse. Food is not the only concern. You should also be aware of what types of plants you bring in the house and what chemicals are around your pets. Today we will discuss the most common dog poisons and what you can do if you suspect that your fur babies have had exposure to a poisonous substance.
Foods and Insecticides
Particular chocolates are very toxic to dogs. Theobromine, a relative of caffeine, is the chemical that makes chocolate poisonous for dogs. Medical professionals discuss how healthy dark chocolate is for people. However, the darker, more bitter, and more concentrated the chocolate is, the more dangerous it is for pets.
You should also keep sugar-free gums and candies away from your dogs because the sweetener xylitol is dangerous. Even if a dog ingests it in small amounts, it can be life-threatening by causing a dog’s glucose level to drop or even cause liver failure. Raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure.
If a dog ingests insecticides and/or pesticides, especially ones with organophosphates, this can be life-threatening. Exposure to insecticides or pesticides alone can cause symptoms in a pet.
Rodenticides
Mouse and rat poison is not only harmful to the rodents themselves, but it can cause many problems for your canine companion if ingested even in small amounts. Rodenticide is made enticing to attract rodents, but dogs will also find it appealing. It depends on the type of rodenticide, but ingestion of them can cause internal bleeding, brain swelling, kidney failure, vomiting, and bloat.
Common Pain Killers
As you would with your children, ensure that you keep your pain killer medicines, such as Aleve, Motrin, Advil, or any Ibuprofens, out of reach of your pets. If ingested, this can result in stomach and intestinal ulcers along with kidney failure.
What to Do If You Suspect That Your Pet is Suffering from a Poisonous Substance
Call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or the Animal Poison Control Center at (855) 764-7661. If you are registered with HomeAgain microchips, you can receive a free consultation with the Poison Hotline.
How to Honor Poison Prevention Week
- Educate yourself on any substances that could harm your pet
- Do some spring cleaning and remove any toxic chemicals
- Share this article