Your Home Might Be Potentially Loaded with Deadly Toxins

March is National Pet Poison Prevention Month. In today’s Dog Blog we will focus on deadly toxins that might already exist in your home, some you might never consider. We’ll also give some statistics on pet poisonings, and provide you with information on how you can contact a Pet Poison Help Line. Let’s dig deep into potential health threats that could be lurking in your pet friendly abode.

Neighboring with the Enemy

In all, there are over 230,000 pet poisonings each year in the United States. This number includes accidental and intentional poisonings, and the reality is that in many cases it’s impossible to tell if the animal was purposely poisoned or accidentally came in contact with a toxic substance. Some humans simply don’t like animals, or they’ve become jaded towards a pet because of their behavior or suspected behavior. The reasons are endless on why someone would choose to take a pets life with poison, and many of the people who perpetrate the act are simply never caught. Those that are found to be responsible normally name actions like “uncontrolled, loud barking at all hours” or “digging in their yard/flower bed” or “the animal tried to bite them” or “the animal roams free and they are fearful for their families safety”.  Some people just don’t like a species, breed, or pets in general and take action out of spite or some mental issue.

The best way to control human intervention in poisoning your fur kids is to monitor the animals at all times, even in your own back yard or on your property. It’s easy to lob a poison filled ball of meat, or to pour antifreeze out on the driveway. To the angry neighbor, no one will be the wiser and the pest will be eliminated. If the animal is outside, you need to have eyes and ears on them. Walk the yard or enclosed area before you let them roam free. Curb bad or annoying behavior like non-stop barking, digging, jumping up on people, or nipping at ankles or elbows. What may not seem like a “big deal” to you, might be the last straw for your neighbor. Realistically, a small percentage of humans would have the mean spirit, aggression, and out of control anger to poison an animal. It’s better for you to be safe than sorry and monitor your pet, keep them safe, and DO NOT let them roam free without supervision.

Help is a Phone Call Away

Our friends at the ASPCA provide a list of the most common toxins that might exist in your home. Everything from what you would expect, to some that might amaze you, reside on this list. We’ll go over the most common on the list, give you some real life numbers on the impact of pets ingesting these poisons, and then talk about what you can to to prepare your home, and what to do if you suspect your favorite furry might have accidentally poisoned themselves.

There are multiple Pet Poison Hot lines run by various organizations. These “Help Lines” are normally manned 24/7/365 and can advise pet owners and provide life saving information, tips, and at home treatments (if the toxin is non-life threatening). They will also advise if you need to get your pet to your veterinarian or, in some cases, go to an Urgent Care or Emergency Vet.

The ASPCA Poison Control Center annually takes over 375,000 calls from pet owners who believe their pet is in danger from ingesting toxins. We’ll give you their number at the end of this blog, with a list of information you should have prior to calling their number.

Could Your Home be a Toxic Nightmare for your Pet?

Let’s review the ASPCA List of Pet Toxins. This information is based on their own hot line call logs, as well as information available from many other sources.

  • #1: Over-the-Counter Medications

    Pet’s should not be given medications off a human drugstore shelf, unless specifically directed by a trusted veterinary doctor. Things like Tylenol, Motrin, Advil, or NyQuil ca be potentially fatal to your pet. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, cold & flu medication, medicated joint cream/gel, and even human vitamins and supplements can be toxic to your pet. Sometimes a pet parent might be attempting to curb pain, or attempting to help a wound heal, loosen up arthritic joints, or attempt to calm their fur kids… but instead end up unintentionally poisoning them. Other times a loose pill is dropped on the floor and your pet could end up with a medication at a human dosage, or one that isn’t suitable for the animal body. In all, over 17% of calls to the Pet Poison Hot line are related to human over-the-counter meds.

  • #2: Human Prescription Medications

    The same basic theory’s apply to pets being poisoned by a humans Rx script.  This number is mostly from accidental drops, open containers, pill caddies, or accessible pill drawers. If you think your pet doesn’t watch you take your daily meds, you’d likely be wrong. Our animals watch us, and sometimes mimic the human action. Sometimes unqualified humans also attempt to fix a pet problem with their own human medications, rather than making a veterinary appointment and handling the problem with the right medication and doses. At no time is it ever advisable, or acceptable, for your pet to take one of your pills. The most common Human Prescriptions that poison pets are antidepressants, anticonvulsant, cardiac medications. We advise that you keep your medications in a locked or sealed draw or cabinet that is no accessible by our four legged friends. Don’t leave your daily pill caddie, or medication bottle in open areas, or in backpacks and purses.

  • #3: Human Foods

    Man, we humans are getting a bad reputation in this list. Table scraps and sharing tiny bites with your favorite fur companion is as old as prehistoric man chowing down with their new bestie, the wolf. However, the diet of early man was mostly meat, berries, and grains… no preservatives or processed/pre packed food items. Today’s human food is packed with chemicals, additives, added colors and flavors that are not designed for a pet metabolism. Not to mention certain “no list” items that are a part of human recipes and diets.  Things like grapes, raisins, xylitol (commonly found in processed peanut butter), onions, garlic, some nuts, and other commonly used spices, are found in most human dinner meals. In tiny bites these items could cause stomach issues and messy poops. In large qualities, some can be fatal. The ASPCA Pet Poison Hotline says that over 13% of all calls are due to too much or inappropriate human foods. (follow this link for a list of bad foods for pets. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets | ASPCA)

  • #4: Bouquets and Plants

    It’s not that your home can’t have indoor and outdoor plants, and we’re not saying you can’t bring the spouse home a beautiful bouquet… we’re saying you should know, and consider, what flowers and plants NOT to bring into a pet friendly house. This type of toxin is on the rise and making a case for the #1 spot. The amount of calls to the Poison Hot line for suspected plant and flower poisonings was nearly 10,000 more year-over-year. Flowers and plants smell good enough to eat, in many cases. They are also eye appealing to your pets. So it’s natural that a little nibble could happen… and a nibble could turn into a meal if your pet is not monitored. Also be aware of these plants while you are out on a walk in a park or woodsy area. (Here is a list of good and bad plants for your review Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants (aspca.org))

  • #5: Household Toxicants (aka… home repair and beauty products)

    Your pets should be sequestered from ongoing home repairs. If nails, screws, spackle, glues, paint, paint thinner, or other home repair items are out, then the room should be off limits to dogs and cats. If ingested these products can do internal damage to your pet and could be fatal. The same is true on most health and beauty products. Everything from deodorant, toothpaste, hair gel, makeup, skin creams, and ointments, should be sealed and in close door cabinets. Just as a quick add-on, garage chemicals like anti-freeze and gasoline must be in sealed containers and all spills immediately neutralized and washed away. Old oil, gas, or anti-freeze needs to be taken away from your home for disposal. These items can and will kill your pets. Driveway spills of gas and anti-freeze are common reasons for accidental poisonings.

  • #6: Rodenticides/Insecticides

    Mice and rats come inside to warm up and to look for food. Some come in during mating season to find a nesting area. The reason rodent poisons are effective is because they smell and taste great to the animal. If they are on a food hunt, these items seem like a culinary jackpot when put out for a trap. However, if it smells and tastes good to them, you can rest assured your dog and cat would like to have a taste. If your pets eat this type of toxin, it can cause bleeding, kidney failure, seizures, and in some cases can be fatal. In the same general category would be fly strips, bug spray, roach motels, or flea traps. If you spray, wipe up and puddles or excess that has gathered in pet obtainable areas. If you use insect traps, assure they are in places your domesticated animals can’t reach them.

  • #7: Gardening Products

    Bug sprays, fertilizes sticks, and weed removers are all toxic. Keep your pet indoors in you spray and attempt to find “pet approved” versions of these items if they exist. Bags of fertilizer, especially organic brands, smell great to a dog, and they will eat them. Unfortunately, these are toxic and could be deadly if enough is ingested. If you’ve just fertilized your lawn or garden, it should be off limits to your pets until rain or dew has cleaned the surfaces.

  • #8: Chocolate

    The ASPCA Poison Hot line handles about 76 calls a day for suspected ingestion of chocolate. Dogs love chocolate and have no problem helping themselves to it. Small amounts can make your doggo throw-up or develop a huge case of the loose poops. Having too much can get your dog into serious problems, even becoming potentially fatal. We advise you to not have “candy dishes” setting out, it’s too much of a temptation for your chocolate loving canines. Be aware of things like chocolate cakes, chocolate icing, even the foil wrappers some chocolates come in. The foils itself is not deadly, but it can cause digestive issues… and you can be sure the wrappers will make a grand exit from your dog (if you know what we mean).

Lastly, we want to talk about veterinary products and medications. If your flea/tick meds come in a tasty chew, or you have calming tablets, or even dental treats, assure your pet can’t “free roam” on these items. They are meant to be given in small doses over a set time frame. Too much can lead to accidental overdoses. Also, it’s important to mention that you should never give one dog another dogs medications. It may seem like the same meds would be okay for another dog with the same symptoms, however things like weight, age, size, breed, and other health factors are taken into consideration when writing a Rx script and dosing a pet. Let the professionals diagnose and treat illness and don’t use your parent intuition. Your pets health could depend on your good judgment.

What if I think my Dog has Ingested some Toxic Substance?

Firstly, don’t panic (easy to say, right?). Keeping your wits, gathering information, making a phone call to either your primary care veterinarian, or a pet poison hot line, having the ability to remain calm and in control so you can give critical information, all these are key to giving your pet the best chance to get the treatment they need and hopefully recover.

  • Keep and Catalog Clues – Look for wrappers, bottles, packaging of potentially toxic items. Try to estimate the amount your pet might have ingested. If its a plant, get a photo of the plant or try to know the type. Again, if you can have general idea of how much they have eaten, give that information as well. Keep labels from the product eaten, if possible. Clean up spills, excess product from the item ingested, and assure the items cannot be accessed by any other pets. If it is a suspected chemical poisoning, wash the excess off the pets fur. DO NOT attempt to make the animal vomit before you speak with a professional. Also, DO NOT try home remedies, seek help from someone trained and tenured in this type of emergency.

  • Have your Pet’s Info Ready – As silly as it sounds, details matter. Have an idea of the last time they had food, last time they pooped, when they started showing the symptoms that have you worried, when these symptoms started, are they worsening or changing. The age of the animal, the last time they saw their veterinarian, any existing or chronic health problems. This is a ton of information, so we advise you have a binder or book with a lot of this information listed, along with the Pet Poison Hot line number, your wellness vets number, and the closest urgent care veterinarians number. Having the information at your fingertips, the ability to write things down that the person you called is saying, adding in new information you’ve gathered, all of this makes the situation less hectic in a crisis.

  • Call Before you Go – Call a Pet Poison Hotline like the ASPCA, call your wellness veterinarian, call an urgent care or emergency veterinary hospital, and let them advise if they need to see your pet immediately. There is no need to add stress to the animal or yourself and rush, only to be told to go home because it was not a critical issue. Make the phone call unless the animal is not breathing or non-responsive.

  • Look for the Physical Signs – If the animal has vomiting, diarrhea, is drooling at an alarming rate, avoids food or has no appetite, has the dry heaves, then they need to see a veterinarian. Again, call before you go and let them know what you suspect.

  • Look for Critical Signs of Poisoning – Pale gums, rapid heartbeat, coughing or vomiting blood, weakness, lethargic behavior, or if the animal can’t keep balance or get to their feet are all signs of the internal bleeding that some poisons can cause. A massive change in their urinary habits (peeing much more or much less, blood in the urine), along with vomiting/diarrhea/loss of appetite, can be signs of potential kidney failure.  Yellow gums, strange physical behavior, tarry/sticky stool, vomiting/diarrhea/or if the animal collapses, could signs of liver failure.

Here are two numbers for your Information Book:

Pet Poison Helpline – 855/764-7661

ASPCA Animal Poison Control – 888/426-4435

Keep in mind that these hot lines may charge you for their services, so be prepared with a form of payment. Also, just as a disclaimer, Freddie’s Place does is not associated with either company, and we do not suggest, endorse, or represent either service.

Hopefully, you will never have to worry about your pet ingesting any toxic items. It’s our mission to assure that if an emergency arises you are prepared, ready, and knowledgeable enough to calmly and effectively be a help to your fur kids in need. Take the time to gather, catalog, and update the information in a book that you keep in one easy to access location. This book could save a your pets life.

Speaking of toxins and accidental poisoning… Easter Weekend is upon us. Uncle Ed and Aunt Jean will be stopping by… and they LOVE to table feed your pets. Be the responsible pet parent and “politely” set some ground rules of what and when to feed treats and snacks. Be the hero and supply them with some “approved” treats so they can still be the fun loving, pet spoiling, good time couple they always are… just in a pet friendlier manner.  Also, they will bring Easter Baskets and candy that are not pet safe. Be sure the presents, baskets, and any other items are safely out of pets reach. Can you imagine what a basket full of plastic grass, chocolate eggs, pixie sticks, and marshmallow bunnies could do to your fur kids insides? Do you have that hot line number memorized?

That’s all for this weeks Dog Blog. We hope that you learned a thing or three from the information we provided. With the Easter Bunny coming this Sunday morning, we sincerely wish all of our readers a wonderful Easter Holiday, all the great food you can eat, lots of quality time with friends and family, all the rest you can fit into a hectic weekend, and above all else… the happiest and pest friendliest holiday that you could dream of, #FreddieSez.