I would like to share with you my list of toxic plants , drugs, chemicals
and other substances which may be harmful to your pets. I would suggest
printing this out and saving it for future reference as it will be
comprehensive and useful in maintaining your pets health.
There is always the potential for our pets to be poisoned despite our best
efforts to prevent it. Because of this we all need to be prepared. I
recommend assembling a pet emergency kit for such instances.
The kit should include:
Hydrogen Peroxide,
A can of soft dog or cat food,
A large bulb syringe or large medicine syringe,
Saline eye wash to flush out eye contaminants,
Artificial tear gel to lubricate the eyes after flushing,
Mild dishwashing detergent to bathe a pet after skin contamination,
Rubber gloves to prevent you from being exposed while bathing the pet,
Forceps to remove stingers,
A pet carrier for transport to the hospital.
The following phone numbers should be posted near your telephone:
Priest Lake: 361-4646;
Nashville Pet Emergency Clinic: 383-2600;
Rivergate Pet Emergency Clinic: 859-3778;
Pet Emergency and Exotics Center (Dr.
Gailbreath in Lavergne): 793-5566.
Before you call a clinic with a poisoning emergency be sure to collect the
material involved and have it at hand. Be sure to bring the material with
you to the clinic because it will be of great benefit in helping us
determine the appropriate treatment plan.
PLANT TOXICITIES:
Hundreds of species are toxic to pets but the following comprise the
majority of the reported cases of poisoning in companion animals:
JAPANESE YEW:
An ornamental yard plant that is used most often in
landscaping at the foundation of houses. This is an EXTREMELY toxic
plant....as little as 2 oz. will deliver a fatal dose to a 50# dog. The
toxin in the Yew is an alkaloid which will depress electrical activity in
the heart and will cause trembling, incoordination, diarrhea, collapse, or
just sudden death. This plant is very common in the Nashville/Priest Lake
area so beware!
Click on http://www.library.uiuc.edu/vex/toxic/jpnyew/jpnyewa.htm to see a
Japanese yew...make sure to click on the photo to enlarge it. The berries
are only present seasonally and note that the shrub can be trimmed into
various shapes so it may take on different appearances.
ARACEAE Family:
Includes Scheflera, Dieffenbachia, Begonia, and
Philodendron. Common names for these plants are Starleaf, tuftroot,
tuberous begonia, wax begonia, water plant, yellow calla, and peace
lily. These types of house plants contain oxalates and cause toxicity by
the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the pets organs. They also
release chemicals in the body which can cause an acute allergic
reaction....salivation, head shaking, pawing at the mouth, difficult
breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea.
RHODODENDRON Family:
Includes Rhododendron, oleander , milkweeds, lily of
the valley, laurel, azalea, and foxglove. These plants contain cardiac
glycosides which are actually used in the production of the heart drug
digitalis. An overdose of one of these plants can be cause vomiting,
diarrhea, collapse, and death due to heart failure.
NIGHTSHADES/SOLANUMS:
Common names include Physals, Nightshade, Chinese
Lantern, Christmas cherry, and Ornamental Pepper. These ornamental plants
contain solanines that affect either the stomach or the brain, depending on
the type of poison contained in the particular plant.
DRUGS:
Animal poisoning by drugs is by far the most common type of small
animal poison exposure, accounting for 75% of toxin exposures reported to
the Animal Poison Control Center.
ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol):
Dogs and especially cats lack the liver enzyme
required metabolize this dangerous drug. This can rupture red blood cells
and cause direct damage to tissues. As few as 2 Tylenol tablets can cause
death in a cat. Signs develop quickly and include salivation, vomiting,
weakness, and abdominal pain.
NSAIDS:
Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Phenylbutazone. These are drugs prescribed
to treat arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. These can be safe at
the prescribed low animal dosages but at human doses they significantly
increase the risk of stomach and intestinal ulcers. These drugs can also
decrease blood flow to the kidneys resulting in kidney failure.
HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS:
This category contains most of the non drug substances
that poison animals throughout the country each year.
ANT POISONS and other insecticides:
There are dozens of insecticides
available designed to kill ants, termites, wasps, gardens pests and many
other nuisance insects. These can be grouped into the organophosphates
(op's) and the carbamates. Both groups have similar toxic effects which
involve disruption of a necessary body chemical for normal nerve and muscle
function. An overdose can cause excessive salivation, eye watering,
diarrhea, muscle twitching, weakness, trouble breathing, and collapse.
ANTIFREEZE: (Ethylene Glycol):
One of the MOST COMMON small animal
toxicities. This poison has a sweet taste and as little as 1/2 teaspoon
per pound of body weight can cause death in dogs....even less in
cats. This toxin damages the kidneys by forming crystals in them....pets
show depression, incoordination, vomiting, and seizures. The most common
way our pets are poisoned is by lapping up a little antifreeze from a leaky
radiator or by lapping it out of a container that was used to drain the
radiator. A new type of antifreeze is on the market which does not contain
the ethylene glycol which damages the kidneys. One brand name is Sierra.
CLEANING PRODUCTS:
2217 animals were poisoned by cleaning products
according to the latest report from the Animal Poison Control
Center. These products include toilet bowl cleaners, bleach, detergents,
Drano, Ajax, pine oil, and many others. Damage is caused by tissue
destruction on contact or by absorbing into the bloodstream causing
generalized illness. Pine oils and electric dishwashing detergents tend to
be the most toxic (makes you wonder why we use them everyday).
My wife has enough cleansers under our sink to clean up a nuclear
disaster...I still say the less chemicals in our everyday lives the better !
Be sure to keep pets off freshly mopped floors to avoid paw irritation and
mouth burns from licking the paws after walking across the floor. If your
pet drinks from the toilet then don't use any type of toilet bowl additives.
HEAVY METALS:
Lead/Zinc; Finally a tip for bird owners! Lead poisoning
is often seen in birds that break open those plastic bird toys and get to
the lead weight inside. This is often fatal and if you have one of these
toys, replace it with something else. Dogs (especially puppies) can fall
prey to lead poisoning also...they can get into old lead paint, drapery
weights, lead shot, fishing weights, batteries, caulk, and motor
oil. Sings include vomiting, diarrhea, painful abdomen, depression,
blindness, circling, muscle tremors, and incoordination. Zinc poisoning
occurs most often when dogs and puppies swallow pennies. This affects the
red blood cells and causes weakness, trembling, and loss of appetite.
RODENTICIDES (Rat and mouse poison):
Another of the most common class of
pet toxins. The most common form are the anti-coagulants....warfarin,
fumarin, diphacinone, bromadiolone, compound 1080, and more. These
interfere with the utilization of vitamin K and cause the blood not to
clot....often resulting in the pet bleeding to death internally. Signs
include weakness, difficult breathing, pale gums, and bleeding from the nose.
TEFLON:
Another tip for bird owners....If a Teflon or Silverstone pan is
left on the stove until heated to 280 degrees F then a toxic gas is
released that damages the birds lungs and air sacs. This is a common cause
of pneumonia and death in pet birds. This often happens if food is burned
in the pan or the pan is left unattended and over heats. BE SURE to keep
your birds cage as far away from the kitchen as possible...especially if
you are as good a chef as me (at least my cooking broke the dogs from
begging at the table).
CHOCOLATE:
Can be very toxic at sufficient doses. Chocolate contains
Theobromine and caffeine which can be poisonous at 1/2 oz. per pound of
body weight in dogs....less in cats. This problem usually occurs around
Easter, Christmas, Halloween and Valentines Day. Clinical signs include
vomiting, excessive urination, hyperactivity, fast breathing, weakness and
seizures.
Hopefully you will find my list interesting and useful. The underlying
message in any discussion of poisons is to avoid poisoning wherever
possible by careful packaging, storing, and appropriate use of potentially
toxic items. Having some guidelines on how to proceed can provide the pet
the best chance to be treated and recover from the crisis. Even more
importantly, it is worth having considered the risks and eliminated them
before those risks become reality.
Priest Lake Veterinary Clients can email Dr. P. anytime to ask a question!
