Dr. Maro: Preventing toxin exposure in pets this holiday season

Dr. Cynthia Maro
·4 min read
Dr. Cynthia Maro
Dr. Cynthia Maro

The best medicine is prevention. The best advice I can offer is to practice mindfulness in choosing and storing products, from medications to food items, plants, decorations, cleaning and gardening supplies within the areas that pets can have access.

A reliable source of information for pet owners and access to treatment advice can be found through the ASPCA Pet Poison Control Hotline (888) 426-4435.

This number is an important one to store in your phone because it is staffed 24/7 by veterinary toxicologists who have information on treatments for toxicity problems for many species of animals.

There is a fee for each consultation incident of possible toxicity per pet. Have your credit available for the consultation, but know that if additional care is needed, your vet can do follow-up calls on your pet’s case throughout its treatment with no additional charge from the ASPCA, as long as you keep your case number.

If a pet has a microchip registered with Home Again, the ASPCA waives for the first consult, annually. If your pet has a microchip that doesn’t have a current registration, consider registering them with Home Again as we approach the holidays. You may even gift the annual registration for another pet lover on your list.

In cases of possible poisoning, I do not recommend calling a human medical poison control line, because dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals have different reactions and needs as compared to humans. Hospitals and their related toxicology centers often misinform pet owners regarding steps to take in a case of possible poisoning.

You will need to get accurate information regarding a diagnosis and treatment plan from a veterinary facility where they have information about animal care, and many vets, myself included, consult with the veterinary toxicologists at the University of Illinois College of Vet Medicine, where the ASPCA Poison Control Center is located.

Many products around the home are toxic to dogs and cats. These include the following:

  • Marijuana

  • Chocolate

  • Highly fatty foods

  • Grapes/raisins

  • Macadamia nuts

  • Raw onions/garlic

  • Salt

  • Xylitol, as a sweetener often added to foods like peanut butter and gum

  • Many human medications, like heart and blood pressure meds and NSAIDs

  • Tobacco and e-cigs

  • Alcohol containing drinks

  • Caffeine and caffeine-containing energy drinks

  • Homemade playdough due to high salt and/or cream of tartar powder

  • Avocadoes (more toxic for rabbits, birds and many large animals, including horses)

  • Rat, mouse poisons

  • Yard treatment products and fertilizers

  • Many household cleaners

Plants in the yard and in the home can also be highly poisonous. Many mushrooms can cause pets to vomit, drool, stagger, seize and experience blindness.

Houseplants like Schefflera and all varieties of lily are highly toxic to cats. Acorns, which are very commonly found around oak trees this time of year, can cause kidney failure in dogs who become obsessed with eating them.

Holiday plants to avoid keeping in the home with pets include:

  • Amaryllis

  • Narcissus

  • Lilies

  • Peace Lily

  • Poinsettia

Before gifting a plant to someone with pets, please check out the list of toxic plants found on the ASPCA Pet Poison site: Animal Poison Control | (888) 426-4435 | ASPCA.

Non-edible dangers also lurk in the forms of:

  • Fabric softener sheets

  • Cocoa mulch

  • Antifreeze

  • Paints and solvents

  • Ice Melt

  • Swimming pool chemicals

  • Mothballs

  • Insecticides, herbicides and pesticides

If you suspect your pet has been exposed to a toxin or poison, don’t delay in seeking veterinary care. Before leaving your home to visit the vet, be certain to bring the packaging for the consumed product, such as a prescription bottle, the label or remaining parts of the product or plant along with you to the vet. And be certain to call ahead to the vet office, before just heading over.

Vet offices and even emergency clinics have been inundated with heavy caseloads, and when combined with reduced staffing, some clinics may not be able to handle an urgent care case.

Two very preventable, but common urgent care visit types follow.

Cats are often exposed to flea and tick chemicals intended just for dogs, and both prescription and over-the-counter chemicals may be involved. This all too frequent situation can have potentially fatal effects for cats. An emergency visit can by avoided by reading and following directions.

Never use drugs labeled for dogs on or in cats, without the specific direction from your veterinarian.

We also treat cases where people who own horses or shop at a feed store have given medication intended for large animals to their dogs and overdosed the pet. Dewormers are one of the most commonly overdosed items, and they can cause blindness, seizures and death when overdosed.

Though it is true that the active ingredients in some dewormers are the same for multiple species, dosage is important – it is quite easy to unintentionally overdose a house pet on a dewormer intended for a thousand-pound animal. Correct dosing is critically important.

Keep pets safe throughout the year, and be especially mindful in preventing exposure to possible toxins.

If an accident does occur, act quickly and seek urgent care to assure the best outcome for your four-legged companions.

Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at the Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and the Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a biweekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic you’d like to have addressed, email ellwoodvet@msn.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Dr. Maro: Preventing toxin exposure in pets this holiday season