Pet Dangers Lurking Around Your Home

Park Hill Vet / By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, Owner, Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center

Have you ever taken a look around your house, garden and garage from a pet’s eye view for safety? We are super at baby-proofing a home when expecting or puppy-proofing when bringing home a new furry family member, but it is easy to forget that there are risks for pets no matter their age or perceived smarts for avoiding toxins around the house.

Here’s a quick top ten list of dangers lurking in and around your home:

10. Automotive products. Products such as brake fluid and antifreeze have moved down the list of dangers as people have become more conscious of risks, but do-it-yourselfers still can leave products out where they might attract the interest of a cat or dog.

9. Lawn and garden products. While many lawn and garden products are not a concern, make sure you review those with a warning label or the poison symbol and use as directed for safety.

8. Plants. Many plants are safe for pets, but there are also many that can cause issues. For an exhaustive, illustrated list, visit aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/.

7. Rodenticides. Vermin control chemicals can be tasty to dogs and a few curious cats.

6. Pet Meds. Veterinary medications, such as the pain reliever Rimadyl™, are flavored to make them easy to administer, but for some pets, just too yummy to resist after the pain has passed.

5. Household products. Like the lawn and garden products, read the labels and follow any warnings for cleaning products, making sure to keep lye, drain cleaner and rust remover out of pets’ reach.

4. People food. While all people food is bad for pets, the following foods and additives should be avoided completely: xylitol, chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, chives, the pits of stone fruits (e.g. peaches), macadamia nuts, yeast dough, avocado, alcohol and salt.

3. OTC Meds. Over-the-Counter (OTC) human medications, such as aspirin or Tylenol, can be toxic to our pets. Before administering any OTC medications to your pet directly, check with your veterinarian.

2. Insecticides. Bugs are definitely a bother, but the products used to prevent them can have disastrous effects on our pets. Insecticides containing disyston or disulfoton should be used according to their label instructions, while any pyrethrin-containing products should be kept away from cats, including some prescribed by veterinarians.

1. Prescription Drugs. Prescription human medications are too numerous to list, and all should be kept up and out of the reach of pets (and children), especially pain killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins, cardiac medications, nicotine patches and diet pills. Always check for any missed pills if you have a spill.

Keep the following numbers on hand for poision concerns:

–ASPCA Animal Poison Control 24-Hour Hotline*: 888-426-4435

-PetPoison Hotline*: 800-213-6680

-Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center: 800-222-1222

*These hotlines charge a one-time per incident fee but are very thorough and dedicated in their information and follow-up.

Dr. Margot will be giving a presentation on the topic of Pet Dangers on Monday, November 5 at 5:30p at the GLBT Community Center of Colorado, 1301 E. Colfax Ave.