Watching one's dog or cat get sick from toxic items or poison is frightening for a pet owner. Symptoms of poisoning range from seizures and vomiting to nosebleeds and diarrhea. Nobody wants to see a pet suffer or have a fatal incident. That is why it is important to make sure one's home environment keeps dogs and cats as safe as possible.
Best Friends Animal Society encourages pet owners to protect their pets from potential ingestion of poisonous materials that may be found around the home. These materials include antifreeze; bait for rodents; batteries, which can contain corrosive fluid; car care products, such as cleaners or oils; fertilizer; polyurethane glue or similar products; household cleaners; ice-melting products; medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter; nicotine products; pesticides for insects; and pool or pond products.
Pets can be very inquisitive. It is best to keep toxic items in a sealed cabinet area that pets cannot access, whether that is in the home, in a shed, or in a garage. If any of these products are used, spillage should be cleaned up immediately to prevent ingestion.
Some foods can also be toxic to pets, so it is important to never allow pets access to several specific food items. They include alcoholic beverages; substances containing caffeine, such as coffee; chocolate; fatty foods, especially drippings and grease from cooking; chicken and turkey bones; grapes and raisins; onions; garlic; macadamia nuts; salt; sugar; and yeast or bread dough.
Plants can also be toxic and poisonous to pets. These plants include English ivy or holly, lilies, Chinaberry, iris, poinsettia, pokeweed, and daphne. For cats, even contact with the pollen of some lilies can be severely toxic.
Should a pet show any signs of poisoning, which include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, blood in the stool, paralysis, loss of appetite, bruising, nosebleeds, irregular heartbeat, or inability to urinate, a veterinary consult is in immediate order. A veterinary office or an emergency clinic should be called as soon as possible to let them know of the pet's symptoms and what the animal could have ingested.
Veterinary staff may be able to provide instructions on how to help decrease the severity of the situation prior to coming in or they may advise that the pet should be brought in immediately. Time is of the essence when it comes to minimizing the dangerous effects of any poison.
For more information, readers may visit http://www.bestfriends.org.
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