As a pet owner, you want your pet to be safe when you travel outside of your home and while they’re inside your home, too. March 20-26, 2016, is designated as Poison Prevention Week, and Blue Door Veterinary Services in Portland wants to give you some tips on how to protect your pet from certain household poisons. Below is a list of the some of the most common household items that can be poisonous to your four-legged friend and how you can protect your pet from them:

Human Medications

To a pet, that little capsule lying on the floor that you didn’t realize you dropped can look like a tasty piece of candy or pet food. Every year, thousands of pets require emergency care after eating medications like Tylenol, Prozac, Aleve, and Effexor. If a pet ingests these medications, it can result in vomiting, ulcers, or kidney failure. Protect your pet from these toxic medications by always checking your floors for dropped pills and making sure all containers are securely sealed and stored out of your pet’s reach. And if you ever see your pet pick up a pill, call us immediately to determine if they need to be seen. Don’t wait!

Human Foods

You’ve probably been tempted to share some of your dinner with your pet once or twice, but before you decide to drop them a piece, make sure you know which foods can be toxic for them. Chocolate, macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, and foods containing the sugar substitute xylitol are all toxic to pets if ingested. Toxicity symptoms can range from vomiting and diarrhea to seizures, liver failure, and even death, depending on the food and amount ingested. As a rule of thumb, keep all the sweets out of your pet’s reach.

Rodenticides

 Also known as rat poison, rodenticide is a poison that’s designed to lure mice and other rodents. Many rodenticides have delayed effects, so if an animal were to ingest it, it wouldn’t show symptoms until hours or even days later. This “animal” can easily be your pet, so it’s best to block off the rooms with rat poison in them with a gate, or simply avoid using it altogether. There are a number of safer alternatives to consider, such as humane traps. Sometimes just having a cat in the home is enough to send those little critters scurrying!

Toxic Plants

Whether you have a garden or flowers in your home, keep in mind that some plants are toxic to pets. One of the most common culprits is the lily plant, which is highly toxic to cats. Other toxic plants include tulips, azaleas, and rhododendrons. Symptoms of plant toxicity can range from diarrhea and vomiting to stomach problems and even kidney failure. Pet-proof your plants by either blocking your pet’s access to them or simply using artificial plants instead.

If you have any questions about how to protect your pet from household poisons, or if you’d like to request a house visit for one of the services available at Blue Door Veterinary Services, feel free to call us at 503-819-8040.