Pet Poisons Listed From A To Z

From Dr. Mary Fuller for Vetstreet.com:

No one intends for it to happen: A purse is left on the floor, and within minutes, your Boston Terrier is parading around with an empty prescription bottle or a chocolate wrapper in his mouth.

“We just don’t realize how determined our pets are to eat the things they shouldn’t,” says Dr. Tina Wismer, DVM, medical director for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Of the 165,900 calls that the organization handled in 2011, most of them involved pets who'd ingested human prescriptions. “Many children with ADHD don’t want to take their medications, so they leave pills on their plates, where pets can get at them,” Dr. Wismer says. “Even nonprescription medications, such as ibuprofen, can be a problem because many brands have a sweet coating, so it’s like candy for dogs.”

As part of National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24), Vetstreet has compiled an A to Z list of some common pet poisons that should be on your radar. This list is not all-inclusive, so for more information on these and many other toxins, check out the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center website and talk with your vet.

So how can you prevent your pet from an accidental poisoning? Start by visiting the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center website to learn about other potential poisons, how to poison-proof your home and what to do if you suspect that your pet may have been poisoned.

It’s also a good idea to post the organization’s phone number — 888-426-4435 — on your refrigerator for easy reference in the event of an emergency. The call center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“To poison-proof your home, don’t keep medications where pets can get at them,” Dr. Wismer says. “Keep cleaning products behind doors, and take your medication in another room, behind a locked door.”

While dogs can be notorious for refusing to take their own medications, Wismer adds, “we sometimes say that the surest way to pill a dog is to drop one on the floor.”

List and captions courtesy of Vetstreet.com

More from Vetstreet.com:

14 Common Dog Behavior Myths Decoded

10 Human Foods That Are Dangerous for Cats and Dogs

Top 10 Trendiest Pet Names in America

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Comments

[jenniferkizzy]

01:18 PM on 03/23/2012

for snake owner's there's a certain chemical in window cleaner that will absorb in your snake's skin and surely kill them also if you can don't use bleach too sterilize the cage it will only cause soar's get seventh generation too clean anything or make your own cleaning supplies at home keep everything away from your snake cage anything that leak's or absorbs will kill your snake easily bye

[jenniferkizzy]

01:14 PM on 03/23/2012

now this is something i'm fully behind yes they are all toxic too your furry babies bye

[Diana Braden Reynolds]

01:13 PM on 03/23/2012

That wild mushroom that is all over the yards from a rainy wet weather is very fatal to dogs.. Keep them away from it. It will take few hours to kill.

[slick horrible]

12:56 PM on 03/23/2012

White chocolate is not even chocolate, not the same thing at all

[PutYourNameOnIt]

12:18 PM on 03/23/2012

OH!! Unbaked bread dough? Really??!!! Please tell me how you get baked bread dough without it being called bread.

[PutYourNameOnIt]

12:17 PM on 03/23/2012

This is dumb. You can use a verb in front of anything to make sure you get the whole alphabet. Also, acetaminophen would be in the same class as non prescription drugs. Just like fertilizers would be under lawn products.
Why not just go a-z on the different types of chocolate?