Playing it safe: preventing poisoning in your pet
You may not realize it, but your house (and even your backyard) is full of items that could poison your pet if ingested. Some - like bleach or rat poison - might be obvious, but others, such as grapes, essential oils and onions, are a bit more surprising. March 19 - 25 is Poison Prevention Week: a time to raise awareness about preventing unintentional poisoning. We’ve put together a list of all the items (food, plants, household products) to look out for so that your home can stay a safe haven for you and your furry friends. So don’t pick your poison - pick your highest shelf instead to keep these items far out of reach!
In the kitchen
- Chocolate
- Xylitol aka birch sugar (often found in peanut butter and sugar-free treats)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Caffeine and coffee
- Grapes and raisins
- Yeast dough
- Onions
- Garlic (in large quantities)
- Avocado skin and pit
- Macadamia nuts
- Pits or stones from apricots and cherries
- Salt
- Seeds from apples
- Nutmeg, allspice, clove, marjoram
Around the house
- Household cleaning products
- Bleach
- Dishwashing detergent or dishwasher powder/tabs
- Rat poison
- Chemicals for the lawn/garden (including fertilizer)
- Antifreeze and de-icing salts
- Slug bait
- Essential oils
- Candles that are not made from soy or beeswax
- Air fresheners
In your backyard and beyond
- Tulips
- Azaleas
- Lilies
- Daffodils
- Foxgloves
- Sago palm
- Dumbcane
- Yew
- Cocoa mulch
- Gladiolas
- Amaryllis
-
Most varieties of wild mushrooms growing in your yard
- Amanita phalloides (death cap), Amanita pantherina (panther cap), and Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) — Conocybe, Gymnopilus, Psilocybe and Panaeolus species and the Galerina species
Look for the signs
Just as important as knowing which items could cause harm to your pets is knowing what to look for in case of poisoning. Some typical symptoms of poisoning include:
- Diarrhea and/or blood in stool
- Unusual stool
- Loss of appetite or vomiting
- Shaking or convulsions
- Lack of energy
- Change in behaviour (lethargy, hyperactivity, loss of balance)
- Drooling or pale gums
Always be prepared
Having an appropriate poison action plan is always a good idea so that you know what to do should the worst happen:
- Have a pet first aid kit handy
- Know which emergency numbers to call in case of poisoning - in particular the number for the local emergency vet.
But most importantly - make sure to keep potentially poisonous items out of reach of your pets so that you can rest easy knowing that they’re safe at home.
