Is Your Pet Safe from Accidental Poisonings?
Next week is National Poison Prevention Week, which serves as a great reminder to check your house and yard for anything that might harm your pet. Remember – pets are similar to small children. They can’t be trusted to understand what might be dangerous. So, it’s best to take some basic steps to poison-proof your home.
So where do you start?
First, familiarize yourself with things that are toxic to pets. Many plants, cleaning agents, human foods, human medications, gardening materials (and the list goes on) can cause trouble. Here are some great resources to explore:
- Paws to Protect: Poison Prevention
- Human Foods to Avoid in Pets
- Common Toxic Plants
- ASPCA Poison Control Center
- Pet Poison Helpline
After you have familiarized yourself with toxic substances, take a look around your house. Be sure to check the garage, basement, and outside areas as well! Store any toxic items in areas where your pets cannot access. Some animals are curious and can be very clever, so make sure the storage locations are truly pet-safe. Also, when you are purchasing a new plant, house cleaner, yard treatment, etc., be sure to read the labels to understand whether the items could be harmful to your pets.
Trying to remember every toxin can be overwhelming, and sometimes accidents will still happen. You need to know where to go to find what you need, when you need it. Then, if something ever does happen with an accidental poisoning in your pet, you can act quickly. In the event of a poisoning, you can contact Lawndale Veterinary Hospital, an after hours emergency clinic, or use the poison resource websites listed above. Both the ASPCA Poison Control Center and the Pet Poison Helpline have call-in numbers in the event of a poisoning emergency.
So go ahead – take a few minutes and make sure your pets are safe from accidental poisonings!
Author: Dr. C. Noureddine, DVM, MS