Answering Answering Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Poison Prevention

We love our pets and would never want them to come into contact with anything harmful. Unfortunately, this does happen from time to time when they explore new places or eat something unexpected on the floor at home - which can lead not only to pet emergencies but also potential health problems for your furry friend as well. Check out this month’s blog post to learn more about avoiding pet poisoning and keeping your pets safe.

What can poison pets? What kinds of poison kill animals?

There are a wide variety of decorative plants and foods that we eat, as well as medications that we take that can poison pets.  The exact substance that can kill your animal often depends on the species you have and their individual sensitivities.  For example, black walnuts are very toxic to horses and can kill them quite quickly while dogs typically get a mild stomach ache from eating black walnuts.

What are the most common household poisons?

The most common household poisons pets encounter are primarily food such as chocolate, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and sometimes grapes.

How can you tell if your pet was poisoned? What are the signs and symptoms?

The most common symptoms of pet poisoning are often gastrointestinal such as vomiting and diarrhea.  A change in normal behavior with an altered mentation and uncontrolled body temperature can also be commonly seen depending on type and amount ingested.  

What can I give to a poisoned pet?

The best course of action is to bring your pet to a veterinarian so that they can induce vomiting and/or treat with activated charcoal in addition to supportive care such as IV fluids if needed.  At home you can try giving some hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting to try and keep the pet from absorbing the poison in their gut.

How can we prevent accidental pet poisonings?

The main way to prevent pet poisoning is to keep human foods out of reach of pets and putting child safety locks on lower cupboards for troublesome dogs and cats.  Outside of the home, avoidance is the most effective means of keeping pets safe by examining the areas they are placed in unsupervised and removing any poisonous plants or other substances in the area.

If you have any questions about what you can do to prevent pet poisoning, feel free to call our fur-riendly team members at Carrollton Animal Hospital at (330) 627-4898 or send us an email at hospital@carrolltonanimal.com.