Showing posts with label dangerous toxic hazards to pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dangerous toxic hazards to pets. Show all posts
Friday, November 3, 2023

Do You Still Have Treats?

Halloween may be over but there is still plenty of candy lying around. Please use extra caution to make sure candy is kept away from pesky paws. While family members are enjoying their Halloween goodies for weeks after the holiday, pets can easily get into the candy stash too. Chocolate is toxic to both cats and dogs. Sugary treats like candy corn can give them a stomach ache or lead to a pancreatitis flare-up. Even sugar-free hard candies and gum can be problematic as they often contain xylitol which can cause a severe drop in blood sugar. Candy wrappers and lollipops can cause dangerous intestinal blockage. Please do all you can to keep Halloween treats in a safe place away from pets. Halloween may be over this year but the risk to pets still remains.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Beware Of Toxic Hazards In Your Garage



It’s busy and you don’t have time right now, but yet it’s so important. When is the last time you looked through your garage for toxic hazards? Many items in the garage can be hazardous to pets. Please be sure to keep these common items out of reach from your cats and dogs: Fertilizer, Antifreeze, Automotive Products, Cleaners, Pesticides (especially rat poison), Glue. During the holidays, we are distracted and this is when your pets get into trouble.

Many years ago when Legend was a pup, we discovered he had knocked a small container of fertilizer off the shelf (it was in a container that was shaped like a tomato so it looked and smelled like food). Luckily we heard the racket and there he was about to lick up the fertilizer off the floor. (We also had to bring him in to ER for ingestion of a xylitol muffin and rat poison at someone’s house.) He was tall as a person, a curious pup and enjoyed rummaging through the shelves! When did these incidents occur? When we had company, during the holidays or when we had important family health matters and weren’t watching his every move.

The holidays are a busy time! Take a few minutes to just make sure that dangerous items in your garage are out of your pet’s reach. Pets are strangely attracted to the smells and will eat them. If you think your pet has ingested anything, don’t wait. Please contact your vet or pet poison control helpline right away. Every second counts.
Saturday, November 14, 2020

Is Danger Lurking In Your Garage?

Here’s something to consider, especially if you have recently brought home a new pet. Your garage could contain a lot of toxic hazards to pets!  Our rescue dog Legend was very tall and when we first brought him home, he managed to reach up to a shelf in the garage and knocked over what he thought was food but was actually a tomato-shaped fertilizer container. We fortunately heard the racket and found him just about to gobble it up.  Fertilizer can be toxic to dogs.  Why would dogs want to eat fertilizer? Well....we know some dogs will eat anything.  But, dogs might be especially attracted to fertilizer due to its organic components like bone meal or blood meal which can smell like food.  Additionally, some fertilizers contain salts that might be appealing to dogs. Even though the dog may want to eat these,  ingestion can be harmful and can causing gastrointestinal upset and/or poisoning.

Dogs are also attracted to rat poison, glue and sadly antifreeze. Antifreeze is a liquid added to a vehicle's cooling system to prevent the engine coolant from freezing in cold temperatures and overheating in hot conditions. It typically contains ethylene glycol, a toxic substance that is sweet-tasting and appealing to pets like dogs. Unfortunately, ingestion of even small amounts of antifreeze can be fatal to animals due to its toxicity, causing severe kidney damage and other serious health issues. To protect pets, store antifreeze securely out of reach, check vehicles for leaks, clean up spills promptly, and consider using pet-safe alternatives.  Even just a small leak or spill could be awfully appetizing for a pet to lap up.  Antifreeze is usually brightly colored, often green, yellow, pink, or blue, making it easily identifiable.

Fertilizer, antifreeze, automotive Products, cleaners, pesticides (especially rat poison) and glue should be kept in a locked cabinet where a cat or dog can't manage to get into. If you think your pet has ingested any of these items, please contact your vet or pet poison control helpline right away. Every second counts. For more pet health tips click here to visit Ask Ariel