The Following is courtesy of Good Housekeeping June 2007:
10 Pet Dangers You Didn't Know About
When my husband and I got our black lab, Ivory, we took all the steps we thought necessary to puppy-proof our home. Chocolate off the living-room table-check. Electrical cords taped up-check. Then I heard a news story about a dog that got his tongue caught in his owner's paper shredder. Could there still be serious dangers in our house that we didn't even know about? Experts say, "yes." "Over a thousand pets suffer each year because they get into seemingly innocuous household items," says Steven Hansen, D.V.M., of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control Center. Here, 10 hazards to watch out for:
Sugar Substitutes
If your dog steals a diet cookie, call a vet. Xylitol-a sweetener used in many sugar-free candies, chewing gums, baked goods, and toothpastes-can cause low blood sugar and liver damage in dogs, reports a study published last year in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. And it doesn't take that much xylitol to create problems: The study says s 22-pound dog that ingests just a gram of the stuff should be treated by a vet.
Liquid Potpourri
A Cat or dog can be badly burned lapping up hot oils and detergents. And many of the liquid-potpourri ingredients can breed ulcers in your animal's mouth, throat, and/or gastrointestinal tract. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has seen 330 such cases since 2001, most involving cats. (Experts think the formulas are also toxic to dogs, but cats appear more sensitive to exposure and are more likely to climb up to reach simmer pots.) About 10% of incidents are life-threatening.
Medications
No sensible pet owner would leave an open prescription bottle within paw's reach. But beware of closed childproof containers as well: "Animals can crush them," warns Dr. Hansen. "I once gave my dog an empty bottle with its cap on and timed how fast she could open it, "he says. "She knocked it around and chewed on it-and got it open within 15 seconds." The scariest part: Swallowing prescription pills could kill your pet. So keep you four-footed friends away from all medication, closed or open.
Lilies
They make a dazzling centerpiece, but can also be lethal to you cat: The ASPCA receives dozens of calls each spring from pet owners whose kitty ata a lily. "Ingesting even very small amounts can resulet in kidney damage, " says Ann Hohenhaus, D.V.M., chair of the department of medicine at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Dogs can also get sick from eating azalea or rhododendron, which can lead to vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness, depression of the central nervous system, and, in rare cause, death.
Polyurethane Glue
You'd never think this stuff would attract your dog, but the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports a 309% increase in glue-related incidents since 2002. "Dogs see a bottle lying on the floor and think it's a toy," explains Dr. Hansen. But glue, he says, is bad news. "When swallowed, it goes to the stomach, absorbs moisure, and expands to form a large, rock-like mass." So if your dog's stomach is swollen, take him to a vet: The pooch may need to have a glob of glue surgically removed.
Onions and Garlic
They contain disulfides, sulfur compounds that can cause gastrointestinal irritation to pets and harm their red blood cells. "One year, at Passover time, I treated a dog with severe anemia," recalls Dr. Hohenhaus. "It turned out she's eaten too much of Grandma's chopped liver, which was loaded with onions and garlic." Tip: Don't let your pet stick his snout in the trash. "If an animal comes across a leftover roast covered with onions, he thinks, Bonus!" says Dr. Hohenhaus. "The next thing you know, he's vomiting all the way to the ER."
Graped and Raisins
"We're not sure why they're so toxic to dogs, but they can trigger gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea, or more commonly, kidney failure," says Karen Halligan, D.V.M., director of veterinary services at the ASPCA of Los Angeles and author of Doc Halligan's What Every Pet Owner Should Know. In fact, of the 140 cases the ASPCA saw between April 2003 and 2004, may were life-threatening,---and seven dogs ultimately died.
See below for another article on this topic.
Pennies
While a pooch can choke on any coin, pennies are particularly dangerous because they're made with zinc, which is toxic to animals. (When a penny sits in your pet's stomach, the zinc leaches out into the red blood cells, resulting in severe anemia and kidney problem.) The newer the penny, the more likely it is to be deadly. That's because pennies minted afer 1982 are 99.2% zince; those minted earlier are only 5%.
Macadamia Nuts
Dogs have become dramatically ill from ingesting just a handful of these. The nuts contain an unknown toxin that can upset your pet's digestive tract and muscles, setting off severe weakness (and sometimes paralysis), mild vomiting, and diarrhea. The good news: Virtually all dogs recover within 48 hours of ingestion, whether or not they're treated by a vet.
Pine-Oil Cleaners
Scrub you floor with something else-the phenol in these products can cause serious liver damage in cats, says Dr. Hohenhaus. And it doesn't take much for a kitty to be exposed: Your fur ball might unknowingly lap up a spill-or just lick the wet stuff off her feet.
ADDITIONAL HOUSE CAT & DOG DANGERS!
1. ACETAMINOPHEN (aspirin) - FATAL IF SWALLOWED!
2. DYE
3. LAXATIVES
4. RAT POISON
5. ANTIFREEZE- ONE VERY SMALL AMOUNT IS FATAL!
6. DEODORANT
7. MOTHBALLS
8. SUNTAN LOTION
9. SHOE POLISH
10. POINSETTIA
11. CHOCOLATE
12. ONIONS
Raisin Alert
Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville, Ohio
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at
MedVet. My patient that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30
AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking
about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until
7AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure
but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in
immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the
doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but.... Anyway, we
contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to
give IV fluids at 1 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the
next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less
than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are
monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and
started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over
40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids.
At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and
sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output
overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have
continued to increase ease daily. He produced urine when given Lasix as a
diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still
couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his
BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated
and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150,
skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to
euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins
could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very
serious risk.
Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many
people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our
ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.