Protect Your Pets From Poisons Found in the Home

Could your pets get into poisons at your home?

Protect your pets from poisons in the home by knowing what they are and keeping them closed and out of reach of curious pets.

Modern households have lots of dangerous chemicals around including:

Cleaning supplies: Ajax, Tilex, dish detergent and all those other household chemical cleaners and should not be ingested by anyone. Make sure they’re in a safe place away from children and pets while in storage and in use.

Plants: Many houseplants can be toxic if eaten including the common Christmas Poinsettia, Philodendron and Yew Plants. Symptoms can range from nausea to death. If your animal is subject to eating such things, please be aware of the dangers!

Anitfreeze: A sweet tasting poison, just a couple of tablespoonfuls can be deadly. Every year approximately 1000 pets die because they lap up spilled antifreeze.

Insecticides and Rodenticides: Some of the new varieties of rat poison such as Bromadialone are even more harmful than older types as these are considered, “single- feeding anti-coagulants”, meaning they’re stronger. So, whether your pet ingests a carcass filled with poison or the poison on its own, either can kill an animal.

Recently, I heard from a reader that her dogs (a Shih Tzu and Maltese) had gotten into some rat poison that had been put out in traps by an exterminator.

While this reader had her doubts about the safety of the poison around her dogs and small grandson, the exterminator had assured her it was safe for them. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

My heart goes out to her in this sad time. Please remember, poison in any form isn’t safe. If you have it in your home, please make sure it’s not in a place where pets and children can get to it. If you find your pet has ingested some type of poison, please call your vet immediately! Protect your pets from poisons in the home.

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