This Week is Poison Prevention Week! A Few Things That Are Poisonous To Your Pets That May Come As A Surprise…
Many of us are familiar with food/plants/medications that are toxic to our pets. Chocolate, antifreeze, and rodenticides are pretty common knowledge. However, some toxins may be available to your pets that you weren’t even aware of. Here are a few that your pets may encounter every day.
- Sugar-Free Gum- Sugar-free gums made with xylitol are potentially deadly to both dogs and cats. Eating a relatively small amount of certain types of gum (as few as 2 pieces for a smaller dog) can cause life-threatening blood sugar issues and possible liver failure. Every effort should be made to keep gum out of the reach of pets- cats can be particularly crafty in raiding an open purse!
- Grapes and Raisins- grapes and raisins can also be bad news for both dogs and cats. It is unclear as to what causes the toxicity in these foods, but only one or two grapes or raisins can cause kidney failure in both dogs and cats. The strange thing is some dogs are fed grapes by their unknowing owners their whole lives without problems while another dog may eat just one and be fighting for its life. This unpredictability demonstrates why grapes and raisins should always be kept out of reach of your pets.
- Easter Lilies- This is the time of year for beautiful flowers, both cut and growing outside. If you own a cat, be especially careful of the types of flowers present in your home. Most lilies, particularly Easter Lilies, are deadly to cats. The leaves, flowers, pollen and even the water they are kept in contain toxins that can lead to complete kidney failure. Always monitor the types of plants present in your home. If you have any questions as to whether a certain plant is toxic, you can visit https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants for a fairly comprehensive list of common household plants.
- Onion/leek/garlic- This may come as a surprise, but ingestion of pieces of onion, leek or garlic cloves can lead to dangerous anemias. There is much discussion amongst pet herbalists as to the safety of garlic, in particular. In our research, there is no scientific evidence supporting the supposed benefits of garlic in animals. However, clinical red cell destruction and subsequent anemias have been demonstrated repeatedly after onion/garlic/leek consumption, so we recommend you avoid these foods for your pets.