March is pet poison awareness month, so what a perfect time to take stock of some common toxins that might be lurking in your house. There are a number of things that we as pet parents know our dogs should avoid, such as chocolate. But some of the other common items on this list might surprise you!
Foods
Some of these foods may be more surprising to you than others! Raw bread presents a unique risk to your dog that you may not expect from the yeast, which can cause fermentation in their stomachs. When this happens in high amounts, your dog can actually experience alcohol poisoning, which brings us to another risk: alcohol itself. Alcohol can cause drunkenness in your dog and lead to a depression of the central nervous system. In severe cases this can even lead to death.
Grapes and raisins are another food you should definitely avoid, and are unique in the fact that toxicity is not dose dependent, and only affects some dogs. The difficult part is that you won’t know ahead of time if your dog is susceptible to grapes or not until it’s potentially too late, as they can cause kidney failure.
Onions are known to be toxic, but did you know aside from low doses raw garlic can also cause issues for your pup? Eating anything in this species of plant can lead to anemia (low blood cell count).
Another surprising kitchen item to keep away from your dog is coffee and coffee grounds. Similarily to chocolate, the caffeine in coffee is what is dangerous, which is why ground unused coffee is the most dangerous.
Xylitol, also known as birch sugar, can be found in gum, toothpastes, and mints and is highly toxic for your pup! Make sure to carefully read the ingredient lists and keep these objects out of reach.
Medications
Over the counter medications such as Tylenol and Advil should never be given to your dog, and should be kept well out of reach. Asthma inhalers can also pose a problem as they give out a measured dose of Albuterol when inhaled, but a dog can puncture the canister and easily overdose. Even Polysporin can be harmful to your dog when ingested, so if you are applying it to a wound on your vet’s recommendation, it’s key to keep your pup from licking it.
Plants
Who doesn’t want to be a plant mom or dad? Although houseplants can add to your decor, they can be dangerous for your pooch! Plants in the lily family are highly toxic, and although they are more dangerous to cats than dogs they should be avoided. Pothos, sagos palms, and daffodils should also be avoided. If your dog ingests marijuana, you should reach out to your vet immediately.
Although it may seem obvious that antifreeze and rat poison are toxic to your dog, if you suspect that they have ingested either of these you should immediately go to the vet. Even though tea tree oil has antibacterial and antifungal benefits, it shouldn’t be given to dogs. The Pet Poison Helpline says that as few as 7 drops of tea tree oil can cause significant harm.
It’s never a bad idea to take an inventory of what is accessible to your dog to keep them safe. Which of these household toxins most surprised you? Let us know!
Stay healthy, stay happy, stay curious #healthygang!
Lots of love,
-The healthybud team
