Common Dangers for Pets

Pets, especially young ones are naturally inquisitive and can get themselves into trouble. Here are some tips for keeping your pets out of danger.

AVOID the following items that could cause problems for your pet:

Food

• Alcoholic beverages
• Chocolate (baker's, semi-sweet, milk chocolate)
• Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans)
• Mouldy or spoiled foods-compost
• Onions, onion powder
• Fatty foods
• Salt
• Sultanas (in Christmas cakes etc.)
• Yeast dough
  

Plants

• Lilies may be found in flower arrangements and can be deadly to your cat. Many types of lily, such as Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Easter, Stargazer, and the Casa Blanca, can cause kidney failure in cats.
• Poinsettias are generally over-rated in toxicity. If ingested, poinsettias can be irritating to the mouth and stomach, and may cause mild vomiting or nausea.
• Mistletoe has the potential to cause cardiovascular problems. However, mistletoe ingestion usually only causes gastrointestinal upset.
• Holly ingestion could cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and lethargy.
• Hazards around the Christmas Tree
• Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers, which, if ingested, can cause stomach upset. Stagnant tree water can be breeding grounds for bacteria, which can also lead to vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
• Electric cords- Avoid animal exposure to electric cords. If they were chewed, they could electrocute your pet. Cover up or hide electric cords, never let your pet chew on them.
• Ribbons or tinsel if ingested can get caught up in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction.
• Batteries contain corrosives. If ingested they can cause ulceration to the mouth, tongue, and the rest of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Glass ornaments can cut the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract if ingested.

Medications

Keep all prescriptions, over-the-counter and illicit drugs out of the reach of your pets, preferably in closed cabinets. Pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins, and diet pills are common examples of human medication that could be potentially lethal even in small dosages. One regular strength ibuprofen tablet (200mg) can cause stomach ulcers in a 5kg dog.

Remind holiday guests to store their medications safely away. During the holidays, many veterinary clinics have limited office hours. In some cases, pet owners try to medicate their animals without their veterinarian's advice. Never give your animal any medications unless under the directions of a veterinarian. Many medications that are used safely in humans can be deadly when used inappropriately.Less than one regular strength paracetamol tablet (325mg) can be fatal  to a cat.

Alcohol

Animals will drink a variety of alcohols, ranging from methanol found in windshield washing solutions to isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to vodka at a party. Unbaked bread dough is another source of alcohol. Clinical signs (staggering & lethargy) will become obvious within an hour if the animal ingested a toxic dose. You should always check with your veterinarian if your pet has ingested any of the products listed above to confirm whether or not it was a toxic or lethal dose and what the next steps would be for proper treatment of your pet.
Ant and Roach Baits
These products contain a variety of insecticides. However,the main ingredients in most of these products are peanut butter, lard, and jelly to attract the insects. Therefore, ingestion of these products is rarely a concern unless a very tiny animal such as a pocket pet is involved. The two exceptions are when the product contains chlorpyrifos or arsenic. Cats are exceptionally sensitive to chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate. A few products contain arsenic, which is a stomach irritant. Therefore, most animals will vomit spontaneously. Never induce vomiting without consulting your veterinarian first. Do not induce vomiting.

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Batteries

Treatment of battery ingestion can be difficult. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has ingested a battery.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains two forms of methylxanthines, theobromine and caffeine, and their amounts vary with the type of chocolate. Unsweetened baking chocolate contains almost seven times more theobromine as milk chocolate, while white chocolate contains very little. You should always contact your veterinarian if your pet has ingested chocolate and confirm that it is or is not a lethal dose.

Cigarettes

Tobacco products contain varying amounts of nicotine with regular cigarettes containing 13-30 mg and cigars containing 15-40 mg. Butts contain about 25% of the total nicotine content. Signs often develop within 15-45 minutes after ingestion and commonly include excitation, salivation, vomiting and diarrhea. If your pet has ingested a toxic amount muscle weakness, twitching, depression, shallow breathing, collapse and then cardiac arrest will follow these symptoms. Contact your veterinarian if you suspect your pet has eaten any products containing nicotine.

Cleaning Products

Most household cleaning products contain acidic or alkaline ingredients, which can cause caustic or corrosive lesions in the GI tract. Fortunately, most exposures occur after the product has been diluted in a bucket of water or a toilet bowl and so only cause mild vomiting. If the product is not dilute, it can cause severe burning of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. Lesions from acids usually appear soon after exposure, while lesions from alkalis may not appear until 8-12 hours later. Do not induce vomiting because further damage will occur. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has ingested any cleaning products.

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Fertilizers

Most fertilizers contain mainly nitrogen, potash, and potassium (N-P-K) and just cause mild GI upset. However, some fertilizers contain a significant amount of iron and can result in iron toxicosis. A few fertilizers also contain an insecticide such as disulfoton, which is a highly toxic organophosphate that causes sudden onset of seizures frequently followed by pancreatitis. Other types of fertilizer are bone meal and blood meal. Dogs can gorge themselves on these products and can have significant GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea, constipation) and possibly pancreatitis. Contact your veterinarian if your pet has ingested any type of fertilizer.

Glow-in-the-dark Jewellery

These jewellery pieces are filled with dibutyl phthalate, which causes profuse salivation and possibly vomiting in animals that bite into them. This response is due to a taste reaction rather than a toxicosis. Give a treat, such as milk or tuna juice, to dilute the taste of the chemical and contact your veterinarian.

Glues

Most glue does not cause problems when ingested by pets. Superglue can glue the lips or tongue together, but otherwise is digested without incidence. An exception is Araldyte Industrial Glue, which expands in the stomach and can require surgical removal. Always consult your veterinarian if your pet ingests any type of glue.

Liquid Potpourri

Liquid potpourris may contain essential oils and cationic detergents. Essential oils can cause mucous membrane and gastrointestinal irritation. Severe clinical signs can be seen with potpourri products that contain cationic detergents. Dermal exposure to cationic detergents can result in reddening of the skin, eedema, intense pain, and ulceration. Ingestion of cationic detergents can lead to tissue necrosis and inflammation of the mouth, oesophagus, and stomach. Following dermal exposure, the animal should be bathed with a mild liquid hand-dish detergent or a non-insecticidal pet shampoo. For ocular exposure to liquid potpourri, the eyes should be flushed thoroughly with tepid tap water or saline. Report any symptoms your pet may be exhibiting to your veterinarian to ensure that helshe does not require any further treatment.

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Mothballs

Naphthalene is the most common active ingredient found in mothballs. Most common signs seen with mothball ingestion include vomiting, anaemia, lethargy and seizures. Hepatitis is a rare effect and if seen would occur 3-5 days post exposure. Treatment of mothball ingestion includes early decontamination. Consult your veterinarian if your pet has or you suspect that it has ingested mothballs.

Painting / Varnishing Products

Household paints and varnishes are relatively harmless and usually only cause mild GI upset. However, pet owners become concerned when paint gets on the animal's fur and make the mistake of trying to remove it with paint thinners, such as turpentine or mineral spirits. These products are extremely irritating to the skin and footpads. The animal will become very painful immediately after application. The best method of removing paint thinners is by bathing with a dish washing detergent and cool water. However, bathing removes excess product without stopping the pain that is already occurring, especially in the footpads. Analgesics and sedatives may be necessary to make the animal comfortable. The pain can be eased in some dogs by allowing them to stand or lay in cool water. They are usually comfortable when in the water, but become painful again as soon as they are removed from the water. Consult your veterinarian for treatment information and do not administer any home pain medications without your vet's permission, some human pain control can be harmful to your pet.

Silica Gel

This is used as a desiccant in newly purchased clothing, shoes, and purses. It is an inert ingredient and is not toxic. The only time it is of concern is when a small animal swallows a large amount, which can expand with water and possibly cause an obstruction or diarrhoea.

Soaps/Shampoos

These products cause vomiting (usually mild and selflimiting) after ingestion. Large ingestions can also cause diarrhea. If the vomiting or diarrhea persists for more than a day, contact your veterinarian.

Thermometers

Thermometers contain elemental mercury, which is not absorbed from the GI tract. Therefore, mercury poisoning is not a concern with these ingestions. If the animal swallowed the glass, bulk up the diet with bread or cooked pumpkin to help it move through the GI tract and consult your veterinarian.

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