It’s Pet Poison Awareness Week!
Are there harmful substances around your house that you didn’t realize were poisonous to your pets?
Here at Animal Medical Center of Wyoming, we are going to highlight a few of the most common harmful poisons that pets get into! For a complete list of dangerous substances, plants, foods, etc., visit Pet Poison Helpline or ASPCA Poison Control.
PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS
Make sure all medications, human and pet, are out of reach. Painkillers, cold and flu, dietary supplements and antidepressants are common drugs that pets get into. Never treat your pet at home with one of these medications without calling Animal Medical Center first and talking with our Gillette Veterinarians. Common medications such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol are extremely poisonous to pets.
Lock all cupboards or areas that contain medications. Over the years we have seen tricky pets who can open doors and knock over objects to get to these medications. Don’t secure in a ziplock bag or even a plastic container, pets can easily chew through these objects to get to the medications inside.
INSECTICIDES AND RODENTICIDES
At Animal Medical Center, in spring and fall, we see increased emergency situations of pets getting into products meant to kill rodents or insects. Keep in mind that companies make these products “tasty”, so your pet might find them appetizing as well. Rodents will often carry these poisons to different locations and within reach of your pets. There are even some rodenticides that have no antidotes.
Be mindful of insecticides and keep out of reach of your pets. If spraying around your house, read all labels for proper instructions to make sure your pets are not exposed. There are insecticides used on pets for flea and tick prevention. Never put these products meant for dogs onto cats! This can be very dangerous and deadly for your feline family members. Always give us a call first if you have any questions about a flea and tick product meant for your pets.
HOUSEHOLD PLANTS
You might have heard that there are a few plants that are harmful to your pets but did you know there are over 700+ plants that are harmful to your pets?! But to save time, we’ll list the top ten. If you would like to view all the plants that are harmful, visit the Pet Poison Helpline List.
If you think your pets might have ingested any plant that is poisonous, call Animal Medical Center immediately. Its best to just avoid having these plants in your household, especially around curious cats.
FOOD HAZARDS
What’s good for us must be good for them, right? WRONG!
Some food items are surprisingly very dangerous for our pets. Keep all food items out of reach and if your pet does ingest anything that you aren’t sure is safe, call us immediately at Animal Medical Center! Sometimes when toxic food is ingested there are no obvious signs of distress in your pets, so it can give false confidence that it must be ok for them to eat. Some of these items are slow killers.
Top 10 Toxins in the Kitchen
Chocolate
Xylitol (sugar-free chewing gum)
Grapes/raisins/currants
Caffeine (coffee, tea)
Fatty scraps
Onions/garlic/chives
Macadamia nuts
Unbaked yeast bread dough
Alcohol
Table salt
Our pets are our family. Keep them safe by being aware of what can harm them around the household.
If you have any questions about anything in your household that might be toxic, don’t hesitate to call us 24/7!
Here at Animal Medical Center, we are here for you and your pets!
