Common Pet Poisons

Fall is another important time that bring new household and environmental toxins for us to be aware of. They can pose serious problems if ingested by our pets. The following is a list of some of the more common Fall toxins.

• Mushrooms: Certain types can be very dangerous. One of the most dangerous is the Amanita phalloides. It is found throughout the US. Symptoms of mushroom ingestion can include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, seizures, depression and even organ damage. Please try to keep your yard free of mushrooms.

• Mothballs: Mothballs typically contain either paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene. Symptoms of ingestion can include vomiting, severe abdominal pain, tremors, weakness, organ failure or even problems with red blood cells.

• Antifreeze: As little as one teaspoon in a cat or a tablespoon or two for dogs, depending on the size of animal, can be fatal. Signs of early poisoning include acting drunk, excessive thirst, and lethargy. While these signs start to resolve in hours the internal damage to the kidneys is occurring and can be fatal. Immediate treatment is important.

• Mouse and Rat Poisons (Rodenticides): Mouse and Rat poisons pose a threat not only if your pet directly ingests the bait but also if you pet is exposed to a large number of dead mice that have eaten the bait. Newer poisons are neurotoxins and are extremely dangerous. There is no treatment for these newer poisons. Please secure any bait away from your pets as well as potential rats or mice exposed to it.

• Compost bins or piles: These can have molding food products that contain tremorgenic mycotoxins. These are molds that cause seizures.

• Red maple leaves: This is a serious concern for horses as well. When eaten they can result in hemolytic anemia.

Two important resources are :

1. ASPCA Poison Control Center open 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. (888) 426-4435.

2. Pet Poison Help Line open 24 hours a day. (800) 213-6680. Poison Helpline also now has an iPhone app “Pet Poison Help”.

For only $1.99, Pet Poison Help will provide you with:

• Life-saving access to poison information with one-touch direct dialing to Pet Poison Helpline.

• A searchable database of over 250 poisonous plants, foods, medications and household items, all with pictures.

• Descriptions of how specific poisons affect your pet, their alternate common names, and symptoms to watch for.

• Instructions on what to do if your dog or cat is exposed to a dangerous substance.

• Constant access to poison information – 　even when you don’t have Internet access​

#poisons