National Poison Prevention Week

In December we did a blog about Christmas Concerns and Holiday Hazards. We would like to expand on the list for National Poison Prevention Week (March 18-24) and to help keep your home pet safe all year long. The ASPCA has its own poison control center and their phone number is 1-888-426-4435. If your pet every gets into anything that could potentially be a poison, it is important to get a call out to the ASPCA as soon as possible. They do have a $65 fee. Their website also has a few lists that you can look through. I found the following information and added a few extra notes: 

Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet

• Alcoholic beverages
• Avocado
• Chocolate (all forms)
• Coffee (all forms)
• Fatty foods – especially if your pet has pancreatitis.
• Macadamia nuts
• Moldy or spoiled foods
• Onions, onion powder
• Raisins and grapes
• Salt
• Yeast dough
• Garlic
• Products sweetened with xylitol – Such as sugar free gums/mints.

Medications to Avoid

Common examples of human medications that can be potentially lethal to pets, even in small doses, include:

• Pain killers – including Tylenol and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like Advil, Aleve, etc.
• Cold medicines
• Anti-cancer drugs
• Antidepressants
• Vitamins
• Diet Pills

Common Household Hazards

• Fabric softener sheets
• Mothballs (Naphthalene)
• Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc) – We did see a case of poisoning by a penny a few years back and would highly recommend keeping your change in your piggy bank to avoid unwanted ingestion.