Substances Toxic or Harmful to Pets

The holiday season is a great time of year to review items that pets commonly ingest (by accident, or sometimes on purpose) that are potentially toxic.  Lots of holiday goodies contain food items that can be very disagreeable to our pets' systems.  Animals also like to eat things that are not intended to be food, but for some reason, appear to be extra tasty to them.  Review the following list (from the ASPCA) to make sure that you don't have any potentially dangerous food or plants within easy reach of curious mouths.

• Holiday sweets with chocolate are not for pets. Depending on the dose ingested, chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk and dark) can be potentially poisonous to many animals. In general, the less sweet the chocolate, the more toxic it could be.  In fact, unsweetened baking chocolate contains almost seven times more theobromine as milk chocolate. Vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity and increased thirst, urination and heart rate can be seen with the ingestion of as little as 1/4 ounce of baking chocolate by a 10-pound dog.
• Keep your pet on its normal diet.  Any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe indigestion and diarrhea.  This is particularly true for older animals that have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements.
• Don't give pets holiday leftovers and keep pets out of the garbage. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages. Greasy, spicy and fatty foods can cause stomach upset; spoiled or moldy foods could cause food poisoning signs, tremors or seizures.
• Alcohol and pets do NOT mix.  Place unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot reach them.  If ingested, the animal could become very sick and weak and may go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.
• Keep aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers away from pets.  They can cause vomiting and intestinal blockage. 
• Be careful with holiday floral arrangements. Lilies are commonly used and all varieties, including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and Casa Blanca can cause kidney failure in cats. Safe alternatives can include artificial flowers made from silk or plastic.
• Common Yuletide plants such as mistletoe and holly berries can be potentially toxic to pets. Should a cat or dog eat mistletoe, they could possibly suffer gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems.  Holly can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and lethargy if ingested. 
• Poinsettias are considered to be very low in toxicity.  However, they could cause mild vomiting or nausea if ingested by your pet.
• Christmas tree water may contain fertilizers, which if ingested, can cause stomach upset.  Stagnant tree water can also act as a breeding ground for bacteria and if ingested a pet could end up with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
• If ingested, decorations such as ribbons or tinsel can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction. This is a very common problem, particularly with cats.
• Consider decorating your tree with ornaments that are relatively less enticing to pets, such as dried non-toxic flowers, wood, fabric or pine cones.

During this time of year, we commonly see problems with antifreeze toxicity.  Antifreeze, even in very tiny doses is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Unfortunately, because of its sweet taste, animals are attracted to it. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle. To prevent accidental poisoning; more and more people are using animal friendly products that contain propylene glycol rather than traditional products containing ethylene glycol.  Keeping pets from wandering unattended can dramatically decrease their exposure to antifreeze that has been carelessly discarded.

Signs

There are seldom specific signs of toxin ingestion in pets, but most owners will usually first notice that their pet appears more lethargic than normal.  The animal may be unwilling to eat or drink, and may begin vomiting or having significant diarrhea.  Sometimes owners will actually see the pet ingesting a toxic substance.  In all cases, the best course of action is to seek immediate veterinary care to prevent further damage and correct problems that may have already occurred.

Additional Information

For more info. on toxic substances in pets, check out the following websites.  If you are concerned that your pet may have ingested something that is potentially harmful, please call The Pet Clinic immediately for further instructions.

Pet Poison Helpline   1-800-213-6680