Category Archives: Poison
A Pet Safe 4th of July
While you might enjoy watching or setting off fireworks, most pets do not. The loud bangs scare them and can drive them to run and clear fences they would not make it over if they were not so afraid. Keep your pet in a safe escape proof place this Fourth of July. Make sure they have adequate water, a comfortable place to lie down and perhaps some favorite toys to keep them occupied. The loud bangs will make them nervous so check on them and comfort them. But, by no means let them free to run. Take them out on a leash to do their business, then back to the safe room. If you have a cat the same rules apply but with the addition of a litter box to their safe place.
Also bear in mind that some things we may think are completely safe can be poisonous for pets. Following is a list of tips from the ASPCA for a pet safe Fourth of July.
- Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
- Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
- Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
- Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.
- Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it.While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.
- Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
- Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.
- Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.
In the unfortunate circumstance of your pet getting into something that can do them harm, please note there are two links, with phone numbers in the friends section of the fluffyfeet sidebar. Both of these links lead to quick and expert help regarding animal poisoning
Pets in Japan Being Cared For
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Puppy -Yuki Japanese Akita
If you are like me, you were worried about the dogs, cats, birds and other pets that had to be left behind when areas were evacuated due to the nuclear power plant and its problems. These animals have been through so much already and now for them to be abandoned seemed to me to be the height of cruelty.
Obviously, my worries and yours were justified. Japan announced on April 29, 2011 that vets wearing protective suits were sent into the no-entry zone to treat the animals that are still there.
From Daily Yomiuri;
They were to wash with water any pets found registering high radiation levels.
The prefectural government will keep the pets temporarily at its health care and welfare center, while posting photos and information on the pets’ whereabouts on its Web site to try to track down their original owners.
This is certainly good news. I hope all the pets will remain healthy and I hope thy can be reunited with their families or find other homes where they will be loved and cared for. That they are being so lovingly treated speaks volumes about Japan’s views towards animals, their safety and their rescue.
Top 10 Pet Toxins of 2010
Before you take me to my new home, please make sure things that could harm me are moved away from where I could get at them. Thank you for keeping me safe.
We all love our pets and want to keep them safe and healthy. I know animal lovers try to do their best but sometimes there are things around that we don’t even think of that are poisonous for our furkins. Sometimes there are plants or foods we don’t realize can be toxic.
It is getting close to Spring in our area, although it is still very chill. But I know many people will soon be thinking about planting a flower and herb or vegetable garden. So I will put up a list of poisonous plants within the next few weeks. But today I want to make sure everyone is aware of the most common things our dogs, cats and other pets get into that are toxic for them.
This is a list compiled by the ASPCA and their Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, Illinois. In other words, these are the most common so obviously many people don’t realize the danger in them. That is why we are starting with this list.
- Human Medications
- Insecticides
- Rodenticides
- People Food
- Veterinary Medications
- Chocolate
- Household Toxins
- Plants
- Herbicides
- Outdoor Toxins
As I said above I will be bringing you lists of poisonous plants and garden items in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can get more detailed descriptions and information on the above top 10 list at this ASPCA link.
Please go and check out the descriptions so you know how to keep your pet safe and what to keep away from them. Then check out your pets area and remove the things that could harm them or at least put them out of the animals reach.
Lets all try to do our best to keep our dogs, cats, birds or other pets from getting sick or even dying due to toxins they should not have gotten into.
Bill to Stop Poisoning Wildlife
Coyotes and lone wolves like the one pictured would easily fall to these poison baits.
Sodium fluoroacetate, also known as Compound 1080 — an odorless, colorless, tasteless and water-soluble poison with no antidote. This poison along with sodium cyanide is used regularly by wildlife services. They put the poison out in an attempt to prevent livestock from falling to predators.
However, since there is no way to mark the bait with place tags reading just who should get at it, endangered species and pets all too often die from ingesting the deadly chemical. Humans have also fallen victim.
This is no way to protect our environment and these poisons are undetectable and indiscriminate. It seems there should be a better way.
From the folks at Care 2;
Death from Compound 1080 — just one teaspoon of which is strong enough to kill 100 human adults — is especially agonizing. Animals who’ve ingested the poison have been found with vomited lungs, distended veins, and evacuated bowels and bladders. They’ve even been seen trying to rip open their own stomachs to get at the painful poison.
Likewise, sodium cyanide is an indiscriminate killer often mistakenly ingested by ill-fated animals and people. M-44s are spring-activated ejectors that are set off when a predator (or other animal, or child, or hiker…) pulls at the top, which is a discreet knob buried in the ground. The M-44 is meant to eject the poison into a predators mouth and face, and can spray the toxic granules up to five feet. Victims can die within minutes or suffer for hours.
You can read the rest here.
There is now a bill in Congress called HR 5643 that would stop wildlife services from using these deadly poisons. Please help to prevent this indiscriminate killing of both animals and humans by signing the petition which will be sent to Congress. Lets convince our legislators that there are far better ways to deal with livestock protection without endangering us or our pets when we go into wild country. Besides, even dangerous animals deserve better than this kind of cruelty and abuse.
You can sign the petition here.
Thank you for all yu do for animals and the environment.
Top Ten Pet Poisons – 2009
We all want to keep our precious pets safe, happy and healthy. If you have dogs,cats or any other animal pets, you want the best for them.
One thing that is too often over looked in our pet care is poison. The simple fact is most of us don’t know what can be harmful or even deadly to out pets. But many everyday items can harm our pets and as owners we must learn what keep away from them.
We all know how quickly a curious pet can get into things and we all know that these same pets put everything they come into contact with into their mouths. The trick to keeping them safe from poisoning is to educate ourselves about hazardous items and then keeping our pets away from contact with them. This can be easier to say than to do.
Every year the ASPCA puts out a list of the top ten pet poisons for the year. Following is the list for 2009. Some of the items should be no brainers, but a few might also be a surprise.
1. Human Medications
2. Insecticides
3. People Food
4. Plants
5. Veterinary Medications
6. Rodenticides
7. Household Cleaners
8. Heavy Metals
9. Garden Products
10. Chemical Hazards
For a breakdown of the number of pets the ASPCA received calls about for the above poisons go here. You can also read the harm each of the above items can cause as well as places where animals seem to find them. As I said before, educate yourself and save your pet as well as a hefty vet bill.
If the worst should happen and your animal friend does fall prey to a poison, please remember there are two pet poison help lines listed under the Friends section on our home page. You can call either one for assistance and advice.