Pet Poisonings
"Funding for this project is attributed to the Indirect Vitamins Purchasers Antitrust Litigation Settlement administered by the NYS Attorney General"
Although our mission is focused on reducing the number of accidental child poisonings, we do not want to neglect accidental pet poisonings. Some common household items causing accidental pet poisonings include oil, gasoline, anti freeze, fertilizers, insecticides, paint, chocolate, household plants, etc. As a pro-active pet owner, one should store these items properly to prevent accidental pet poisonings.
Chocolate has great potential for pet intoxication. Chocolate poisoning (also known as theobromine poisoning) can be lethal to pets even if only a small amount of chocolate is ingested. A lethal theobromine dose for a dog is 250-500 mg/kg. Milk chocolate contains 44-60 mg/oz theobromine and unsweetened baking chocolate contains 450 mg/oz theobromine. Therefore, proper chocolate storage is essential in preventing accidental pet poisonings.
As any veteran of cold Buffalo winters knows, anti-freeze plays an important role in proper winter car maintenance. Pets are attracted to antifreeze due to its sweet taste, however small amounts of antifreeze can be lethal. One teaspoonful of antifreeze can be deadly to cats and one tablespoonful can be lethal to a 20 lb. dog. Therefore, pet owners should clean antifreeze spills in the driveway and garage appropriately. If the sweet tasting temptation is removed, the potential loss of a loved pet can be avoided.
Not sure what to do if your pet has been accidentally poisoned?
Call the National Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435.
Although this is not a toll-free number, this call will provide pet owners
with immediate advice as to how to handle an accidental pet poisoning.
Associated with this call is a $45 consultation fee, so have your credit
card number available when calling the National Animal Poison Control
Center. The following is pertinent information a pet owner should have
available when he or she is calling the NAPCC:
1. Name, address, phone number
2. Credit card number (remember this is not a toll-free
number)
3. Species, breed, age, sex, weight of pet
4. Number of animals involved
5. Kind of poison animal was exposed to, if known
6. Information regarding poison (where, how, when, how much)
7. Problems animal is experiencing (vomiting, diarrhea,
seizures, etc.)
Check out the following web sites for more information on accidental pet poisonings:
www.napcc.aspca.org
www.canine-epilepsy.com
www.firstaidforpets.com
www.mnpoison.org
