5 pet hazards hiding in your purse or backpack

1.       Sugarless chewing gum and breath mints

    Many people carry chewing gum in their purses or backpacks and don’t realize that, if ingested by a dog, it can be fatal.  Most sugarless gums, including some Trident, Orbit and Ice Breaker brands, contain Xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Some sugarless mints and flavored multi-vitamins may also be made with Xylitol.

    When ingested, even small amounts of Xylitol can result in life-threatening and rapid drop in blood sugar, and, if large amounts are ingested, dogs can suffer from severe liver damage.  Signs of Xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, collapse, tremors and seizures.

2.       Cigarettes

     As few as three cigarettes can be fatal to a small dog, depending on the “strength: or “lightness” of the cigarettes.  After ingestion, clinical signs of distress can become apparent in as little as 15 minutes. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and even gum (Nicorette) contain nicotine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Exposure causes high heart and respiratory rates, neurological overstimulation, uncontrolled urination, defecation, tremors, seizures, paralysis, and death.

3.       Asthma inhalers (albuterol)

    While asthma inhalers are often used in veterinary medicine for cats and dogs, when accidentally chewed and punctured by dogs, they can cause severe, life-threatening, acute poisoning. Because inhalers often contain concentrated doses (often 200 doses in one small vial) of beta-agonist drugs (albuterol) or steroids (such as fluticasone), dogs that bite into them are exposed to massive amounts of the drugs all at once.  This can lead to severe poisoning, resulting in life-threatening heart arrhythmias, agitation, vomiting, and collapse.

4.       Human medications

    Medications kept in your purse or backpack can be irresistible to some dogs because they resemble toys that rattle.  Each year nearly half of all calls to Pet Poison Helpline involve ingestion of potentially human medications.  Common drugs including NSAIDS (i.e. Advil, Aleve), acetaminophen (ie. Tylenol), and antidepressants (i.e. Effexor, Cymbalta, and Prozac) can cause serious harm to dogs and cats when ingested. NSAIDs can cause stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure, especially in cats.

     A single Tylenol tablet containing acetaminophen can be fatal to cats, and in dogs, in larger ingestion, can lead to severe liver failure. Of all the medications, antidepressants account for the highest number of call to Pet Poison Helpline. They can cause neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors and seizures.

5.       Hand Sanitizer

    Hand Sanitizer has become a common item in handbags and backpacks. Many hand sanitizers claim to kill almost 100 percent of germs. This is possible because they contain high amounts of alcohol (ethanol) – sometimes up to 95%.  Therefore, when a dog ingests a small bottle of hand sanitizer, it can have the same effect as a shot of hard liquor.  This can cause a severe drop in blood sugar, incoordination, a drop in body temperature, neurological depression, coma and death.