03/06/2025
Pet Poison Prevention Week 2025 will take place from March 16th to 22nd, 2025.
What to do during National Poison Prevention Week
• Learn how to identify signs of poisoning in your pet
• Assess your home and yard for potential hazards
• Keep medications, household products, and plants out of reach of your pet
• Don't feed your pet human food, especially chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, and garlic
Common household hazards
• Medications: Human medications, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs, can be toxic to pets
• Plants: Some flowers, like lilies, sago palms, and tulips, can be toxic to pets
• Household products: Cleaning products, rodenticides, and other household products can be toxic to pets
• Below are the most common household items that are toxic to pets. Ensuring that your pet doesn’t ingest them will be well worth the time and effort needed to keep them a safe distance away.
• Xylitol
• Many sugarless gums, including some Trident™, Orbit™, and Ice Breaker™ brands, contain xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Candies, mints, flavored multi-vitamins, desserts and baked goods may also be made with xylitol. Even small amounts when ingested can result in a life-threatening drop in blood sugar, or with large amounts of ingestion, liver failure. Signs of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, tremors and seizures.
• Human medications
• Common human drugs including NSAIDs (e.g. Advil®, Aleve® and Motrin®), acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol®) and antidepressants (e.g. Effexor®, Cymbalta®, Prozac®) can cause serious harm to your pets when ingested. NSAIDs can cause serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure. Acetaminophen can damage red blood cells in cats, limiting their ability to carry oxygen, and in dogs, it can lead to severe liver failure. Ingestion of antidepressants, which, of all human medications account for the highest number of calls to Pet Poison Helpline®, can lead to neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors and seizures.
• Flowers
• With Easter and spring right around the corner, flowers will begin to bloom. As beautiful as they are, some flowers can cause severe toxicity, or even fatalities, in animals. Certain types of lilies including tiger, day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese lilies, are highly toxic to cats. Severe kidney failure can result from ingestion of even a few petals, leaves, or even the pollen. In addition, ingestion of certain spring bulbs (e.g. daffodils, tulips) can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. More serious reactions include abnormal heart rate or changes in breathing.
• Chocolate
• With the Easter bunny on his way, make sure your kids hide their candy from your dog. While the occasional chocolate chip in one cookie may not be an issue, certain types of chocolate can be very toxic. Baker’s chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest problem. The darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is to our pets. The chemical toxicity in chocolate is due to methylxanthines (a relative of caffeine) and results in vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and possibly death.
• Fertilizers
• Many fertilizers are basic gastrointestinal irritants. However, some are often combined with dangerous chemicals and compounds called organophosphates or carbamates, which can be harmful or deadly to pets. Ingestion can result in drooling, watery eyes, urination, defecation, seizures, difficulty breathing, fever and even death.
• Pest Control Products
• Rodent, snail and slug baits are often used to keep pests at bay. However, if ingested, these poisons are extremely harmful to pets. They are highly toxic and without immediate veterinary attention can be fatal. Rodent baits typically can result in blood clotting disorders, brain swelling or kidney failure, while snail and slug baits can result in severe tremors or seizures.
• Pet Poison Helpline® recently worked with VPI pet insurance to produce several videos with helpful and interesting information about keeping your pets safe from toxins inside and outside the home. They are available here: http://petpoisonhelp.wpengine.com/Ask-the-Vet-Videos.
• Remember that what is safe for humans isn’t always safe for pets. If you think your pet has ingested something poisonous, it is always better (and less expensive) to get help immediately, rather than waiting until your pet is showing severe symptoms. Contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline® immediately at 800-213-6680 for life-saving help. Pet Poison Helpline® is the most cost-effective animal poison control center in North America, including unlimited follow-up consultations.
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Below are a few links to check out for more info on what to look for and be aware of when it comes to poisonous items in your home.
https://www.aspcapro.org/printable-pet-safety-materials
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-safety-tips/national-poison-prevention-week-march-20-26/
Veterinarian Cloverleaf Animal Clinic is your trusted veterinarian in East Memphis.
