We, as humans, sometimes forget that things or substances we use everyday are actually hazardous to our four-legged friends. While we would NEVER think about eating or drinking chemical cleaners, our pets actually find some of them tasty, and, given their naturally curious nature, can get themselves in trouble. It is our responsibility, as their owners, to protect them from these situations.
In that vein, I would like to spotlight some of these items throughout the next few months. As with all medical issues, prevention is always better, and cheaper, than treatment!!
Metals
Iron: ingestion of any iron metal can cause iron poisoning. Items that have been reported to the Pet Poison Hotline as having been ingested by dogs or cats include: Hand/foot warmers, prenatal vitamins, iron supplements, and fertilizers.
Lead: lead poisoning can affect our pets also, Items reported include paint, batteries, fishing sinkers, leaded glass, ceramic, pottery, plumbing items, solder, linoleum, buckshot and bullets.
Zinc: zinc poisoning is yet another threat to our pets. Remember, for all of these items listed here and above, ingestion can lead to toxicity OR obstruction. Items containing zinc that have been reported include coins, pennies, metallic nuts, staples, galvanized metal, zippers, toys, zinc oxide and diaper rash creams.
Garage Items
Antifreeze: all antifreeze products, including those labeled “pet –safe” can be harmful to our pets. Pet-safe products will cause gastrointestinal upset, while all the others will cause much more severe problems, including death. Antifreeze solutions are usually sweet smelling and sweet tasting, which actually tempts the dogs and cats to drink them, so safe storage is essential.
Mouse/Rat Poisons: these poisons actually cause death by not allowing the blood to coagulate. Depending on the amount that the pet ingests, it could do the same to your pet. Be very careful when placing these poisons so that they are not in an area where your pets, or someone else’s, can get to them.
Gasoline products: Items such as gasoline, kerosene, motor oil,
tiki torch fluid, transmission and brake fluids are all harmful to our pets.
Pesticides: Once again, careful storage and application of these products is essential in order to protect our pets from ingesting them.
Gopher bait: since this poisonous to gophers, it is also poisonous to our pets.
Windshield Wiper Fluid: Proper storage and clean up of any spills is essential.
Thank you for choosing Cherokee Animal Clinic! We have cared for pets in Overland Park and the surrounding area since 1964. Our veterinary hospital has gone through many transformations in the last four decades, but our commitment to providing the best veterinary medicine and compassionate care for pets has never changed.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Protecting our Pets from Products that we use every day
We, as humans, sometimes forget that things or substances we use everyday are actually hazardous to our four-legged friends. While we would NEVER think about eating or drinking chemical cleaners, our pets actually find some of them tasty, and, given their naturally curious nature, can get themselves in trouble. It is our responsibility, as their owners, to protect them from these situations.
In that vein, I would like to spotlight some of these items throughout the next few months. As with all medical issues, prevention is always better, and cheaper, than treatment!!
Household Items
Acids: battery fluid, toilet bowl cleaners, vinegar, metal cleaners, drain cleaners. These acids can harm our pets both through the skin and if ingested.
Alkalis: bleach, automatic dishwasher detergent, oven cleaners, lye,drain cleaners. These products typically have little taste or odor, so larger ingestions may occur. As with acids, alkalis can harm both topically and internally.
Batteries: dry cell batteries, such as 9Volt, D, C, AA, AAA, are the most common types that are ingested, but button/disk batteries run a close second.
Detergents: soaps, fabric softeners, deodorizers.
Firestarter logs: These logs are made of compressed wax and sawdust, which will cause obstructions in the stomach when mixed with saliva and stomach acid. They also can contain heavy metals, which cause metal toxicity when ingested.
Fluoride: toothpaste and mouthwash. ALWAYS use pet approved toothpastes with your pets, NEVER human formulas.
Glow jewelry: these popular jewelry items contain a clear-to-yellow oily liquid called DBP, which can be ingested or can cause skin irritation.
Gorilla Glue and other types of wood or construction glue. When the chemicals in the glue mix with the stomach acids, the glue expands into a very large, foam firm foreign body obstruction.
Hand Sanitizer: Most hand sanitizers contain ethanol, which is highly toxic to both cats and dogs.
Liquid Potpourri: The liquid base causes chemical burns to the mouth. Liquid potpourris are most dangerous to cats due to their grooming habits.
Matches: These contain sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, all of which can cause metal toxicity. The danger of ingestion is relative to the amount ingested.
Mothballs: This pesticide can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin or ingested.
Paintballs: Although uncommon, paintball ingestion can be life-threatening to our pets.
SuperGlue: Need I say more.
Tinsel: While not “poisonous”, tinsel is extremely dangerous to dogs and cats when ingested. It wraps around the tongue and/or internal organs, creating major problems internally.
In that vein, I would like to spotlight some of these items throughout the next few months. As with all medical issues, prevention is always better, and cheaper, than treatment!!
Household Items
Alkalis: bleach, automatic dishwasher detergent, oven cleaners, lye,drain cleaners. These products typically have little taste or odor, so larger ingestions may occur. As with acids, alkalis can harm both topically and internally.
Batteries: dry cell batteries, such as 9Volt, D, C, AA, AAA, are the most common types that are ingested, but button/disk batteries run a close second.
Detergents: soaps, fabric softeners, deodorizers.
Firestarter logs: These logs are made of compressed wax and sawdust, which will cause obstructions in the stomach when mixed with saliva and stomach acid. They also can contain heavy metals, which cause metal toxicity when ingested.
Gorilla Glue and other types of wood or construction glue. When the chemicals in the glue mix with the stomach acids, the glue expands into a very large, foam firm foreign body obstruction.
Hand Sanitizer: Most hand sanitizers contain ethanol, which is highly toxic to both cats and dogs.
Matches: These contain sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate, all of which can cause metal toxicity. The danger of ingestion is relative to the amount ingested.
Paintballs: Although uncommon, paintball ingestion can be life-threatening to our pets.
SuperGlue: Need I say more.
Tinsel: While not “poisonous”, tinsel is extremely dangerous to dogs and cats when ingested. It wraps around the tongue and/or internal organs, creating major problems internally.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Protecting our Pets from Products that we use every day.
Some of you may have read the article in Sunday’s Kansas City Star Magazine about things that pet do and why they do them. I found some of the topics rather interesting!
What I did notice, though, was the number of things that we use every day that are actually toxic, or even poisonous, to our pets. In that vein, I would like to spotlight some of these items throughout the next few months. As with all medical issues, prevention is always better, and cheaper, than treatment!!
Gardening Items
Mulch, while lovely to look at and very helpful against weeds, can be toxic to our pets. When eaten in great quantities, mulch can cause major stomach issues, including blockage.
Cocoa bean mulch is made of discarded hulls or shells of the cocoa bean, which are by-products of chocolate production. The tempting “chocolate-like” smell often attracts dogs and may encourage them to eat mulch. Processed cocoa bean hulls can contain theobromine and caffeine, the two toxins of concern in chocolate. Unfortunately, determining the amount of toxins in mulch can be difficult as it varies greatly from product to product. Many varieties contain very low amounts of the toxins and are as dangerous as dog owners are often led to believe; however, varieties with higher toxin concentrations can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, an abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and in extreme cases, death. Since it is not always apparent how much of the toxin the mulch contains, it is best to keep dogs a safe distance away, to always supervise your pet while outside, or to not use the mulch at all.
While fertilizers are typically fairly safe for pets, those that contain blood meal, bone meal, feather meal and iron may be especially tasty – and dangerous to dogs. Large ingestions of the meal-containing products can form a concretion in the stomach, potentially obstructing the gastrointestinal tract and causing sever pancreatitis, and those that contain iron may result in iron poisoning. Also, ingestion of pesticides and insecticides, especially if they contain organophosphates (often found in rose care products), can be life-threatening, even when ingested in small amounts.
Available in a variety of forms (pellets, granular, powder and liquid), slug and snail baits contain the active ingredient metaldehyde, which is highly poisonous to dogs and cats. When ingested, metaldehyde produces clinical signs of distress within one to two hours, including salivation, restlessness, vomiting, tremors, seizures, and life-threateningly high body temperature. These baits are highly toxic and without immediate veterinary attention, symptoms can last for several days and can be fatal.
Gardeners love their compost; however, it can be toxic to pets and wildlife so please keep it fenced off. As the organic matter decomposes, it is common for molds to grow, some of which produce hazardous tremorgenic mycotoxins. When consumed by an animal, moldy food or compost ingestion can result in sickness and physical distress in as little as 30 minutes. Symptoms include agitation, panting, drooling, vomiting, tremors and seizures. Prompt veterinary treatment with appropriate supportive care usually results in a good prognosis.
Watch for the next installment…..Household items that may harm our pets.
What I did notice, though, was the number of things that we use every day that are actually toxic, or even poisonous, to our pets. In that vein, I would like to spotlight some of these items throughout the next few months. As with all medical issues, prevention is always better, and cheaper, than treatment!!
Gardening Items
Mulch, while lovely to look at and very helpful against weeds, can be toxic to our pets. When eaten in great quantities, mulch can cause major stomach issues, including blockage.
While fertilizers are typically fairly safe for pets, those that contain blood meal, bone meal, feather meal and iron may be especially tasty – and dangerous to dogs. Large ingestions of the meal-containing products can form a concretion in the stomach, potentially obstructing the gastrointestinal tract and causing sever pancreatitis, and those that contain iron may result in iron poisoning. Also, ingestion of pesticides and insecticides, especially if they contain organophosphates (often found in rose care products), can be life-threatening, even when ingested in small amounts.
Available in a variety of forms (pellets, granular, powder and liquid), slug and snail baits contain the active ingredient metaldehyde, which is highly poisonous to dogs and cats. When ingested, metaldehyde produces clinical signs of distress within one to two hours, including salivation, restlessness, vomiting, tremors, seizures, and life-threateningly high body temperature. These baits are highly toxic and without immediate veterinary attention, symptoms can last for several days and can be fatal.
Gardeners love their compost; however, it can be toxic to pets and wildlife so please keep it fenced off. As the organic matter decomposes, it is common for molds to grow, some of which produce hazardous tremorgenic mycotoxins. When consumed by an animal, moldy food or compost ingestion can result in sickness and physical distress in as little as 30 minutes. Symptoms include agitation, panting, drooling, vomiting, tremors and seizures. Prompt veterinary treatment with appropriate supportive care usually results in a good prognosis.
Watch for the next installment…..Household items that may harm our pets.
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