Top 5 Pet Toxins At Home – National Poison Prevention Week

According to a study, owning pets can be one of the most powerful ways to boost your overall health and wellness. 

Spending time with your pet lowers your blood pressure, relieves stress and also increases your life expectancy.

Being a pet lover, you will know the value that your paw friends add in your life. But you might not know the hidden dangers they are lurking in around your home

From the foods you eat to the products you use to keep your home clean, we thought the arrival of Spring would be a good time to review the most common hidden pet toxins. It’s also National Poison Prevention Week. So with that, here are five common household items to watch out for to protect your pet’s health:

It's National Poison Prevention Week and the best time to review the most common hidden pet toxins. So without further ado, here are the top 5 pet toxins at home for cats and dogs.

For Cats:

1. Lily Plant: All plants in the lily family, if ingested, can cause kidney failure in cats. These are very commonly used plants hence you have to be careful of what types of plants you use at home.

2. Household cleaners: Almost all the conventional household cleaning items are filled with chemicals. According to studies, they aren't only bad for your pets but even for you and your family! Do you use cleaners with bleach, acids or detergents? Then keep them locked up!

3. Flea and tick prevention products for dogs: Certain pyrethroid-based products can cause tremors and seizures in cats and are potentially deadly if ingested.

4. Antidepressants / Medicines: According to Pet Age, cats seem strangely drawn to these medications.Over 25% of the calls into the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in 2010 were for pets that had gotten into human medications. Keep them tightly sealed and out of reach, as they can have damaging neurological and cardiac effects on cats.

5. NSAIDs: Drugs like Ibuprofen found in Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc are even more dangerous to cats than they are to dogs. Even those meant for pets should be used with caution.

For Dogs:

1. Chocolate: Dark and bakers chocolate are the worst, and milk chocolate in large amounts can also be dangerous.

2. Xylitol (sugarless gum sweetener): Also found in some candies, medications and nasal sprays, this sweetener causes a fast drop in blood sugar and possible liver failure in dogs.

3. NSAIDs: Drugs like Ibuprofen found in Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc. Dogs are not good a digesting these and the continued exposure can cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure.

4. Cough, Cold & Allergy Medicines: Particularly those containing acetaminophen or decongestants.

5. Mouse and Rat Poison: Even small amounts may cause internal bleeding or swelling of the brain in dogs.