Pet Toxins Already in Your Home

That’s correct—your home likely contains at least a few of the following potential pet toxins. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to keep your four-legged friend safe from harm with a few simple precautions. Learn more below from your vet in Pickerington, OH.

Poisonous Plant Life

Many plants and flowers pose a risk to our cats and dogs. Some of the more common offenders on the list include lilies, the sago palm, certain aloe plant varieties, tulips, daffodils, ivy, oleander, azalea, chrysanthemums, and the dieffenbachia. There are many more dangerous plants and flowers out there; consult the ASPCA’s website for a complete list, and ask your vet what sort of toxic plant life is common in your area.

Toxic Foods

Every typical kitchen contains a few foods pets shouldn’t have. They include onions, garlic, chives, grapes and raisins, chocolate, candy, caffeine, alcohol, salt, macadamia nuts, avocado, and more. Keep these foods off of countertops and tables where pets may able to swipe them down; instead, store hazardous foods inside the refrigerator or a closed cabinet.

Cleaning Supplies

Your supply closet is a hot-zone of possible pet poisons. Everything from bleach, ammonia, and floor cleaners to furniture polish and standard household cleaners could harm a pet if they were to ingest such products. Keep your pet elsewhere when using cleaning supplies, and keep the supply closet closed when you’re not cleaning. Try putting harmful chemicals on the highest shelves, where pets are least likely to gain access.

Human Medicine

Did you know that human aspirin, antidepressants, cough syrup, over-the-counter drugs, and everything in between can prove harmful to pets? Never let your pet gain access to your medicine cabinet; remember, a determined pet with strong jaws may be able to chew right through a child-proof cap! Take care not to get your pet’s medications and your own mixed up, as giving your pet human medicine accidentally could prove disastrous.

Pesticides and Rodenticides

If you use pesticides or rodenticides in your home to ward off insect or rodent pests, place the products with caution. These products are designed to kill with poison, and they can just as easily harm our companion animals! Ask your vet about non-toxic, pet-safe alternative options.

Does your pet need medical attention? Do you have further questions about keeping your pet safe in your home? Don’t hesitate to contact your Pickerington, OH animal clinic for help from the professionals.