Poisonous Items To Pets
Mar 19, 2024 ComfortAtHomePetServices Pet Safety
As much as we try to protect our pets, many pet parents don't realize the dangers hidden in plain sight all around them. Those dangers can come in the form of plants, food, and household items that can be toxic and even deadly to our pets. If you think your pet has ingested any of the following items, call either ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435 for at $65 fee or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680 for $49. Symptoms can range from stomach upset and diarrhea to seizures and even death.
Common food items toxic to pets:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Apple seeds
- Apricot pits
- Avocados
- Cherry pits
- Chocolate
- Coffee, tea and soda due to the caffeine content
- Grapes
- Macadamia nuts
- Mustard seeds
- Onions and onion powder
- Peach pits
- Raisins
- Rhubarb leaves
- Walnuts
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener toxic to pets. Many sugar free foods, such as peanut butt, candy and gum contain Xylitol)
- Yeast dough
Plants toxic to pets:
- Amaryllis
- Andromeda
- Arrow Grass
- Azalea
- Bittersweet
- Boxwood
- Buttercup
- Caladium
- Chokecherry
- Climbing Lily
- Crown of Thorns
- Daffodil Bulbs
- English lvy
- Elderberry
- Fox Glove
- Fox Tail
- Holly
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- lris
- Japanese Yew
- Jasmine Berries
- Marigold
- Mistletoe
- Narcissus
- Nightshade
- Oleander
- Peach
- Philodendron
- Poison ivy
- Poinsettias
- Rhododendron
- Rhubarb
- Tobacco
- Tulip Bulbs
- Walnut
- Wisteria
- Yew
Common Household Items Toxic Pets
- Aleve
- Bait traps
- Batteries
- Battery fluid
- Bleach
- Dibutyl phthalate (often called DBP) commonly found in glow sticks
and glow jewelry
- Dishwashing detergent
- Drain cleaners
- Drywall compound
- Ethylene glycol AKA Antifreeze
- Fertilizer
- Foam insulation
- Foil
- Glue
- Hair dye
- Insecticide
- Lead paint
- Liquid potpourri
- Mothballs
- Motrin/Ibuprofen
- Mouse and rat poisons
- Oven cleaners
- Paint removers
- Pool chemicals
- Tea tree oil
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Tylenol
- Varnishes
- Windshield washer fluid
- Zinc
The most important thing a pet parent can do to minimize the risk of accidental poisoning is to remove access to all of those items. Store all household and yard chemicals in a locked area away from where pets eat or sleep. Utilize safety locks for all lower cabinets within easy reach of pets. This can be trickier with cats and plants, as cats are known climbers. To easiest way to eliminate the risk of a cat getting into a poisonous plant is not to bring one into the home, or store in on an enclosed porch or outdoor area. To reduce the risk of a food-based poisoning, buy a refrigerator magnet listing what foods are dangers to our pets and make sure everyone is aware of what foods are dangerous to our furry family members. Make sure young children know not to share their food, candy or gum with pets and explain that it can make their pet very sick. Before taking your pet to the park or on long walks, they should be trained in the ‘leave it' command, as it could save their life if they would come upon any of the above while outdoors. While there isn't a way for pet parents to be everywhere at every moment of the day, we can minimize the risks of our pets falling ill or even dying by getting into a toxic substance.
