Protect your pet from accidental poisoning

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Protect your pet from accidental poisoning

A few months ago, Merissa Hamilton returned to Boston from a work trip and found

her year-old Yorkshire terrier frantically running back and forth across the

apartment, unable to be consoled even with treats. Turns out Toulla had ingested

Adderall, a stimulant drug used to treat Hamilton's roommate's attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder.

Most likely one of the tiny pills had fallen on the floor, only to be later

discovered by the 3.5-pound dog. Fortunately, quick treatment at the animal

hospital using IV fluids along with activated charcoal to absorb the drug

enabled Toulla to make a speedy recovery.

Some of the 167,000 pet owners who last year called the 24-hour poison control

hotline run by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

weren't so lucky.

" Pets that ingest human medications can become blind, develop heart problems,

and experience acute kidney damage,'' says Dr. Jules Benson, a veterinarian for

Petplan, a pet insurance company. " These effects can be reversible but treatment

needs to be implemented in the first few hours.''

Human medications were, in fact, the number one reason for pet poisonings,

according to the ASPCA. Tylenol is far more toxic to animals than ibuprofen and

aspirin, says Benson, though you need to keep all medications out of your pet's

reach, including those stray pills that fall on the floor. And, yes, dogs can

chew through those plastic bottles of children's Tylenol.

Insecticides were the number two poison — it appears some owners spray their

cats with products not designed for animal use. A definite no-no.

And mice and rat bait can poison your pets; not only do the grain-based toxins

attract rodents, but cats and dogs as well.

" People'' food like chocolate, onions, grapes and raisins can also be poison to

dogs and cats, which have different digestive enzymes than humans. " Make sure

not to feed your pet scraps from the table,'' says Benson.

That includes those juicy bits of steak meat. The fat content in the beef can

give a small dog like Toulla a painful case of pancreatitis.

Of course, pet medications can also be poisonous if your animal overdoses on

them. " A lot of the time these drugs are formulated to taste like treats so pets

will seek them out,'' says Benson. " And pets, like kids, really don't know

what's good or bad for them.''

It really comes down to using common sense, he adds. Keep medications,

chemicals, and food locked away or high up out of your pet's reach. And secure

your garbage cans if your pet gets into them.

If your animal develops any signs of poisoning like vomiting or diarrhea, call

the ASPCA's poison control hotline at 888-426-4435.

DEBORAH KOTZ

The top 10 things that could poison your pet

1. Human medications

2. Insecticides

3. Rodenticides in baits and traps

4. People food such as grapes, onions, garlic

5. Veterinary medication overdoses

6. Chocolate

7. Household toxins such as bleach, detergents

8. Plants

9. Herbicides

10. Outdoor toxins such as antifreeze, fertilizer, ice melt

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/02/14/protecting_your_pet_f\

rom_accidental_poisoning/