Pet Poison Prevention At Home

From Pet Talk, American College of Veterinary Pharmacists Vol 13, Number 2

There are many things that you can do at home to help protect your pet from accidental poisonings. The ASPCA has many suggestions to safeguard your pet’s surroundings. You should familiarize yourself with human foods that should never be fed to pets. Examples of foods that can be especially harmful include avocado, chocolate, macadamia nuts, on-ions, xylitol (artificial sweetener often found in sugar-free gum), raisins, and grapes.

Outdoor hazards that pet parents need to be aware of include swim-ming-pool treatment supplies, blue-green algae on standing water, cocoa mulch, fertilizers, poisonous animals, citronella candles, antifreeze, de-icing products, and pest and insect baits. Indoor hazards that many people may not realize pose a threat to their pets include medications, fabric softener sheets, pennies produced after 1982 (high zinc content), electrical cords, holiday wrapping supplies, batteries, and glass Christmas ornaments.

On the contrary, things that people may perceive to be extremely hazardous to their pets, but are actually non-toxic to animals, include water-based paints, silica gel, poinsettia plants, cat litter, glow jewelry, and glue traps. These items may cause mild gastrointestinal upset, but are not life-threatening. If pet parents would take a few minutes to examine their homes for potential hazards to their pets, many accidental injuries could be avoided and hundreds of animal lives could be saved each year.
Reference: www.aspca.org

Top 10 Pet Poisons
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) receives thousands of calls each year from concerned pet owners. Many of these calls are pertaining to accidental poisonings of their pets. For this reason, the ASPCA recently published a list of the top hazards that pet owners need to be aware of in their homes.

1. Human Medications-The ASPCA received 45,816 calls relating to human medications in 2009. They recommend keeping pill vials off of counters and nightstands and instead keep them in areas non-accessible to pets.
2. Insecticides-29,020 calls to the ASPCA were insecticide related. Many of these were related to improper usage of topical flea and tick treatments. Common mishaps were using the wrong product for the wrong species, so always read the directions before applying any of these products to your pets.
3. People Food-A total of 17,453 calls were fielded by ASPCA regarding pet ingestion of people food. While most pet owners are aware that chocolate poses a danger to their furry friends, many people do not realize foods like grapes, raisins, artificial sweeteners, and certain nuts can be very harmful to pets.
4. Plants-7,858 pet owners called ASPCA regarding ingestion of household plants in 2009. The top five poisonous plants are lilies, azaleas, oleander, Sago Palms, and the castor bean plant. Ingestion of even a small amount of these plants can be quite harmful to pets. Pet owners should check with a reliable source before purchasing plants to ensure they are not potentially harmful to their pets.
5. Veterinary Medications-This may not seem like a logical poison, but ASPCA had 7,680 encounters involving veterinary medications. This is due to both accidental ingestion and mis-dosing of medications by pet owners.
6. Rodenticides-Although meant to eliminate pests, our loving pets often fall victim to these harmful substances. 6,639 ASPCA calls dealt with pet ingestion of rodenticides in 2009. These toxins are often flavored in a way that is attractive to our pets, even though they were intended for the demise of our pests.
7. Household Cleaners-One common cause of toxicity from household cleaners is the inhalation of harmful fumes, as we often forget to remove our pets from the areas we are cleaning. The ASPCA received a total of 4,143 calls involving house-hold cleaning items in 2009.
8. Heavy Metals-Paint chips, lead dust, linoleum, and other metal-containing items in older homes are often ingested by pets, which could lead to serious events if not treated. A total of 3,304 pet parents sought ASPCA’s advice following their pets’ heavy metal ingestion in 2009.
9. Garden Products-Fertilizer can make your yard and pet turn green. Exposure to fertilizer resulted in 2,329 calls to ASPCA. Common ad-verse events related to fertilizer exposure include stomach upset and possible gastrointestinal obstruction.
10. Chemical Hazards-Items that are the culprits in this group include ethylene glycol antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners, and pool chemicals. The number of incidents with these items has been on the rise in recent years. ASPCA received 2,175 calls relating to this category in 2009. Some of the side effects that pets may experience include stomach upset, depression, chemical burns, and respiratory difficulties.

Written by: Adriane Lea Compston, BSPS, Pharm D candidate May 2010 University of Mississippi and Emmye M. Griffin, BSPS, Pharm D candidate May 2010 University of Mississippi