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Recognizing common pet poison hazards is the best way to protect your dog or cat.
The possibility of your pet being exposed to a pet poison is a common concern for many pet owners.
Pet Poison Victims May Be Poisoned Intentionally
In some cases, pet poisonings may be the result of a malicious neighbor or community member, as seems to be the case with a rash of pets who have (sadly) died of a pet poison in this Alberta neighborhood recently.
Pet Poisonings Are Frequently the Result of Lack of Knowledge About a Pet Poison
More often, pet poisonings happen because a pet owner is simply unaware of the dangers of a given pet poison. For instance, a veterinary colleague of mine recently treated a dog that had been poisoned with chewing gum that contained xylitol. The dogs owner, unfortunately, was unaware that xylitol is a potent poison for dogs. The poor man gave it to his dog because he thought the dog would enjoy it. I’m not sure why he thought the dog would like to chew gum but, nevertheless, it was act of love that turned into a nightmare for pet owner and pet alike. Unfortunately, the poor dog did not survive despite the best efforts of my colleague.
A Pet Poison Victim May Ingest the Poison Accidentally
Still other pet poisonings may be the result of an accident. I see pets at my practice on a regular basis that have accidentally ingested their owners medication. Sometimes it happens because the owner gets confused about the medication and gives the pet the wrong one. Other times, it happens when a pill is dropped on the floor and the pet eats it before it can be located and retrieved. Even worse is when the pet gets ahold of the whole bottle of pills and ingests many of the tablets instead of just one.
The best way for you to keep your pet safe from any type of pet poison is by being aware of the most common poisons and learning how to keep your pet away from them. To help us with that goal, Dr. Justine Lee, director of veterinary services for the Pet Poison Helpline, speaks to us in this podcast interview about that very subject.
Dr. Lee will also be joining us in the Chat Cafe on Wednesday evening (May 4, 2011) at 9PM EST to answer your questions. Come and learn how to keep your pet from becoming a victim of a pet poison.
Photo Courtesy of MITCH3LL/Flickr.com
About Lorie Huston, DVM
Lorie Huston is a veterinarian, pet health and pet care expert, professional writer, blogger, social media and blogging consultant, and SEO strategist.
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