Sunday, April 12, 2009

1st Post on Examiner.com for Animal Care


A few tips on how to keep your pets safe and well.

Pets rely on you to protect them. Normally you should only feed your pets food and treats made for the type of pet that you have. Some human food and drink can make animals sick or worse, so keep an eye out.

Some examples:
• Alcoholic beverages
• Items containing caffeine, such as coffee,soda etc.
• Chocolate (Big no-no)
• Fatty foods
• Chicken and turkey bones (beef and pork bones normally are fine just watch them when they have one)

Here are a few odd ones that most people aren't aware of:
• Grapes and raisins
• Onions
• Macadamia nuts
• Salt and sugar
• Yeast dough
• Aspirin is especially harmful to cats
There are many other things in or around your home can cause illness or even death in your pet. Here are some more examples:
• Antifreeze
• Bait for rodents
• Batteries (they can contain corrosive fluid)
• Car care products
• Fertilizer
• Household cleaners
• Ice-melting products
• Nicotine products
• Pesticides for insects
• Plants that are toxic to pets ( see below for more information on what plants )
• Pool chemicals

For more information on what to do for a poisoned animal, what plants are poisonous visit the website on "Animal Poison Control Center."
If you suspect your pet has been poisoned and you need immediate assistance, call Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. The nonprofit hot-line is staffed 24/7 by a team of veterinarians, including veterinary toxicologists.There is a donation fee however. Or call information for your local 24 hour emergency vet hospital.

Just make sure to take a look around your house and make it pet-safe that's what makes a good pet parent.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for spreading the word on pet toxicities on your blog - so important for pet owners to be aware of the lurking household poisons in (and outside of) their house! As an ER specialist, I see so many toxicities that owners bring in too late (making it more expensive to treat, with a worse prognosis!). When in doubt, it's so important to call a Poison Control for peace of mind!

    I wanted to make you aware of another important resource out there also - Pet Poison Helpline is an additional Animal Poison Control Center, and it's one of the most cost-effective animal poison ($35/case vs. ASPCA's new $60/case) controls out there nowadays. Unfortunately, because animal poison controls are not federal- or state-funded, there is always a fee to allow the service to be run 24-7. We provide a similar service, but have the added benefit of veterinary specialists (in internal medicine and emergency and critical care) as part of our staff. You can always call 1-800-213-6680 if you ever have a problem. Thanks for spreading the word!

    Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC
    Associate Director of Veterinary Services
    www.petpoisonhelpline.com
    www.drjustinelee.com

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