Household Hazards

As smart as you think your pet may be, his curiosity can get him into trouble. The strong odor of paint may entice your pet in for a closer smell, the mouth-watering scent of cinnamon potpourri may be too hard to resist snacking on, and shiny objects like coins, nails and even vitamins can attract a pet’s attention. In addition to batteries, children’s play dough, fabric softener sheets and mothballs, beware of these household hazards:

• Home improvement products: Paint, solvents and expanding glues can contain heavy metals that can be poisonous when consumed in large quantities, causing irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, eyes and skin and can produce central nervous system depression or pneumonia.
• Iron: Found in a variety of supplements and vitamins and may cause damage to the stomach and intestinal lining, diarrhea, shock, coma and severe liver and heart damage. Signs initially occur within six hours of eating.
• Nicotine:  Found in cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, nicotine gum and patches. A 10-pound dog can eat two cigarettes and show signs of toxicity, such as vomiting, drooling, excitement, tremors, low heart rate or seizures. Large amounts can be life threatening, causing paralysis of the breathing muscles and death due to the inability to breathe, sometimes within a few hours.
• Potpourri:  Ingesting or licking can cause chemical burns to the tongue, throat and esophagus.
• Zinc:  Typically found in pennies, zinc nuts and bolts, zinc game pieces and zinc ointments. Irritates the stomach lining and causes gastrointestinal irritation as well as a potentially fatal blood disorder. Signs include vomiting, diarrhea, appetite loss, lethargy and pale gums.

Ease Off The Antifreeze
Common sense may tell you that antifreeze is deadly, but are you aware how often pets are exposed to it? Look no further than your garage or driveway, on the street and in parking lots. Cat litter or sand absorbs the sweet-smelling fluid and will prevent pets from eating it. A pet-safe antifreeze is also available at stores.

Treacherous Toys
Pets may consider dental floss, string or yarn to be fun to play with, but once ingested, there’s nothing funny about the damage they can cause. If ingestion is not diagnosed in time, your pet may suffer from intestinal trauma as the string tries to pass through, potentially shredding the intestine in the process. Never leave your pets alone with toys on a string, and make sure to keep trash cans covered so access to disposed floss, yarn or string can not be found.

Caution With Cleaners
We’re not advising you to stop cleaning your house, but be careful where you store potentially hazardous cleaning products. Pets can gain access to bottles found in lower cabinets or the trash can. In particular, bathroom cleaners containing bleach or Lysol® can cause very serious chemical burns on the tongue and upper esophagus if licked and consumed.

• Bathroom cleaners, bleach, Lysol®: If licked, cleaners can cause very serious chemical burns on the tongue and upper esophagus. Common symptoms include lack of appetite, drooling, pawing at the mouth and excessive swallowing.  If consumption is witnessed, the pet’s mouth should be immediately flushed with large amounts of water prior to rushing to a veterinarian.
• Ethanol: Commonly used as a solvent in medications and alcoholic beverages. Signs include odor of alcohol on pet’s breath or stomach contents, incoordination, staggering, behavioral change, excitement or depression, excessive urination or incontinence, slow respiratory rate, cardiac arrest and death.

Further Reading :
A Survival Tail
Treating an accidental poisoning quickly can save your pet’s life.

Toxic Meds
Find out which human medications you should keep out of your pet’s reach.

Learn more about VPI Pet Insurance:
Dog insurance, Cat insurance, What’s covered, Get a quote