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.