PET POISON PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH

March is PET POISON PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH, but in our house every month is Pet Poison Awareness Month! We do our best to be aware of products that can be toxic to dogs all year round. It's scary but there are actually many household items that can be toxic to dogs. These are things we see and use every day in our homes, things we don't think twice about.

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT ARE POISONOUS TO DOGS

There are so many everyday items around our homes that can make dogs and other pets sick if they ingest them, and sometimes even if they just inhale their fumes. There are too many to list here, but I'll give you a sampling of common items found in the home that can be toxic to dogs:

🕱 Bleach, Detergents, Carpet cleaners, Dryer sheets

🕱 Many Vinegars (Apple Cider Vinegar is an exception)

🕱 Some essential oils, even if "natural", can be toxic

🕱 Fertilizers, Pest control, and other household chemicals

🕱 Anti-freeze, and ice melt that isn't marked "pet safe"

🕱 Paint, Spakle, Grout, Caulk, Glues, Varnishes

🕱 Human medications like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, heart or blood pressure meds, anti-depressants, Adderall and many more

🕱 Some soaps, creams and ointments can pose a danger to your dog if eaten

Know the potential dangers of these items to your dogs and make every effort to keep them out of your dog's reach at all times. 

Remember, things that are not harmful to humans at all can pose a significant danger to dogs or other pets.

If your dog ingests or inhales any of these potentially harmful items, contact your Veterinarian immediately. If you're traveling with your dog when it occurs, contact a nearby Veterinarian right away. If possible, know where there will be an emergency Vet before you head out on your travels. Read product labels and contact your Vet if you're unsure about the safety of any household product.

My Dogs Were Exposed To A Cleaning Product That Is Toxic To Dogs

I've shared this story before, but I think it's important so I'll share it again here. As most of you know we travel a lot with our dogs, staying at hotels along our lengthy road trips.  One year we arrived at our dog friendly hotel late at night. We got to our room and just wanted to relax and get some rest, but the room overlooked a patio where a group of people were partying loudly. 

We asked to change our room and were given another pet friendly room, which seemed fine. We soon fell asleep with Icy and Phoebe sleeping on the carpeted floor next to the bed. 

In the middle of the night we were awakened by Icy coughing heavily, almost like she was choking! We put her up on our bed and after a few minutes her coughing eased.  However, then Phoebe started coughing uncontrollably! Now we were panicked. Both dogs suddenly coughing uncontrollably!? It made no sense. They hadn't had anything they could have choked on, and hadn't eaten anything that could have made them sick. I got Phoebe up on the bed with me, and she vomited. Her coughing then eased up. My husband and I were really concerned, and perplexed.  

There were no Veterinarians open at that hour and there didn't seem to be an emergency Vet in the area.  As soon as daylight came we quickly checked out and LEFT! As we barreled down the Interstate I searched on my phone for a Veterinarian that could see us immediately.  Oddly enough, as soon as we got the dogs in the car and left that hotel they seemed to improve. We opened the windows to get some air into the car. Every couple of miles they improved - no more coughing at all. We had found a Vet who could see them right away.

By the time we arrived at the Vet Icy seemed totally fine, no coughing at all and Phoebe was better as well. We met with the Vet, a kind, wonderful man. He listened to the account of our hotel experience and checked our dogs out. He said they looked fine. 

His conclusion was that they'd had a bad reaction to whatever cleansers the hotel used on the carpets in the rooms! He said they probably didn't wait the required amount of time for the carpet to dry and cleansers to dissipate before sending us and our dogs to that room. 

This was the first time I'd heard that carpet cleaner and other cleansers could make my dogs sick. Since both my dogs liked to sleep on the carpet in hotel rooms, their noses were very close to the fumes, which they inhaled.  It was a learning experience for sure, and I vowed to share that valuable experience with other dog owners.

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I hope this article on what household items are toxic to dogs and other pets was helpful to you.  You can find a more complete listing of Household items that are toxic to dogs on the ASPCA's web site, as well as a list of Household Products that are Poisonous for pets on the Zoetis Pet Care web site. 

STAY AWARE AND 

MAKE EVERY MONTH PET 🕱 POISON PREVENTION MONTH 

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Holiday foods that are BAD for dogs

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