It’s no secret we are lovers of animals, and we know as caring pet owners, our top priority is to keep our furry best friend safe, happy, and healthy. As we head into spring—March is Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month—we are forced to take a step back and be mindful of the potentially dangerous toxins and substances that may be easily accessible to pets in our homes.
Take a minute this month and look around your living space. Items like liquid ant traps left on the ground to detract bugs, plug-in fragrances that are in sniffing range, and stray medication that may have accidentally been dropped and forgotten on the floor easily entice pets to investigate and can all pose a risk.
Household toxins include, but are not limited to:
- Alcohol
- Antifreeze
- Batteries
- Cleaners: household cleaners like bleach as well as chemical sprays that are used to clean and sanitize kitchen counters, windows, bathrooms, and floors
- Fragrance sprays, reed diffusers/essential oils, and wall-mounted dispensers
- Garden fertilizers
- Household plants
- Though pretty in our house, household plants like jade, aloe, lilies, daisies, ivy, and sago palms are all toxic to pets
- Marijuana
- Over-the-counter and prescription medications
- Pest control and rodent poison
- Pool chemicals: chlorine tablets, powders, and liquids; sanitizers, clarifiers, balancers, and algaecides.
- Xylitol: a sugar substitute found in sugar-free gums, peanut butter, and candies.
These items are best stored on high shelves, in locked cabinets, or behind closed doors where pets can’t reach them.
Symptoms to Look For
If you have reason to believe your pet ingested something poisonous or witnessed it yourself, call your primary care veterinarian right away and look out for the following symptoms:
- Collapse
- Diarrhea (blood may be present in stool)
- Excessive drooling
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Vomiting (with blood present)
Be sure to act quickly by calling your primary care veterinarian for assistance or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435. For the best results, provide as much information as you can. Share what and how much your pet ingested, the timeframe in which it was ingested, what symptoms they may be displaying and for how long, as well as any other important information such as age, weight, and breed.
The Best Care for Your Best Friend
As Vermont’s only specialty and 24/7 emergency animal hospital, BEVS is available to help your pet when they need it most. If you believe your pet is having a medical emergency, please give us a call at (802) 863-2387 so we can help.