Pet Toxins & Poisoning
Signs, Prevention & Samples
Pet Toxins & Poisoning
Signs, Prevention & Samples
Your pet may intentionally ingest a toxin, or become poisoned through accidental exposure.
- Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
- Excessive salivation
- Depression/lethargy
- Changes in behavior (anxious, shivering)
- Painful abdomen
- Seizures
- Staggering/unconsciousness
- Bleeding or bruising
- Breathing difficulties (panting, gasping)
Your pet may intentionally ingest a toxin, or become poisoned through accidental exposure.
- Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
- Excessive salivation
- Depression/lethargy
- Changes in behavior (anxious, shivering)
- Painful abdomen
- Seizures
- Staggering/unconsciousness
- Bleeding or bruising
- Breathing difficulties (panting, gasping)
- If you have seen or know that your pet has ingested a toxin, call Poison Control:
- https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- If you suspect your pet has ingested a toxin, contact a veterinarian immediately.
- Do not begin treating your pet until you have spoken to a veterinary staff member.
- For some toxins you may be advised to induce vomiting with Hydrogen Peroxide.
- Transfer the animal to a veterinary facility as soon as possible. Bring a sample of the suspected toxin with the original container to the veterinary facility.
- Become familiar with common toxins (see below), to avoid accidental exposure.
- Do not rely on packaging to keep your pets out of trouble. Unlike children, animals can and will chew through child safety closures.
- Keep all medications and chemicals out of your pets’ reach. (Remember they can jump or even reach through cages.)
- Do not administer any medications (no matter how seemingly harmless or mild) to an animal without first contacting a veterinarian.
- Many drugs intended for one species will kill another species if given in even the smallest dosages.
Ethylene glycol is most commonly found in antifreeze, but can also be found in some detergents, paints, polishes, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Because of its sweet taste it is one of the more common poisonings seen in dogs and cats. A mere four ounces of ethylene glycol can be fatal to a 60-pound dog or 1-1/2 teaspoons to an average 10-pound cat. Even walking through an antifreeze contaminated puddle, then licking the paws can be enough to produce toxic signs.
Signs are seen within half hour to 12 hours of ingestion:
- Drunken gait, staggering
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
Prevention: Use and encourage your neighbors and friends to use propylene glycol-based antifreeze.Do not allow your pets to drink or walk through water puddles from which you do not know the origin.
Dogs and cats cannot metabolize the theobromine (caffeine like) in chocolate, potentially causing serious stomach upset, nervous excitement, fast heart rate and/or blood disorders. As little as one ounce of milk chocolate per 20 pounds is enough to create toxin signs. Semi-sweet chocolate and baker’s chocolate require much less amounts to cause serious signs.
Signs:
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Hyperactivity and excitement
- Seizures
- Severe depression
- Coma
- Death
First Aid: Transfer the animal to a veterinary facility as soon as possible. You may or may not be instructed to induce vomiting.
Prevention: Keep all chocolates well out of reach of pets. Remember, the smell is intense, they will chew through bags, jump, or climb on counters to reach the treat. Beware of placing any wrapped gift packages within pets’ reach especially during holidays, they may contain chocolates.
Xylitol is a sugar free sweetener used more commonly in Sugar Free Gum.
It increased the sensitivity if the animals to their own insulin and causes life threatening hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar). It also causes liver damage.
Signs
- Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
- Severe depression
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
Prevention: Keep all sugar free gum well out of reach of pets. Remember, the smell is intense, they will chew through bags, jump, or climb on counters to reach the treat. Beware of placing any wrapped gift packages within pets’ reach especially during holidays, they may contain chocolates.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- Acetaminophen
- Alcohol
- Antifreeze
- Antihistamines
- Ammonia
- Aspirin Barbiturates
- Caffeine
- Carbamates
- Carbon Monoxide
- Crayons
- Chocolate
- Copper pennies
- Cosmetics
- De-icers
- DDT
- Drugs (marijuana, etc.)
- Deodorants
- Denture cleaners
- Disinfectants
- Drain cleaners
- Fertilizers
- Fireplace colors
- Fireworks
- Fleet Enemas
- Fluoride
- Furniture polish
- Gasoline
- Gila Monsters
- Glues and adhesives
- Hair Sprays
- Hair colorings
- Insecticides
- Ibuprofen
- Insects
- Indoor plants
- Livestock dips
- Lye
- Lead
- Matches
- Metal cleaners
- Nail polish
- Nicotine
- OFF insect spray
- Onions
- Organophosphate
- Overheated fat
- Oven cleaners
- Paint/varnish remover
- Perfumes
- Petroleum Distillates
- Pine Oil Disinfectants
- Pyrethrin’s
- Rodenticides
- Rubbing alcohol
- Rust removers
- Scorpions
- Shampoo
- Snakes
- Spiders
- Spoiled foods
- Strychnine
- Styptic pencils
- Suntan lotion
- Tar
- Tiger Moths
- Toilet bowl cleaners
- Toads
- Warfarin
- Wax
- Spiders
- Spoiled foods
- Strychnine
- Styptic pencils
- Suntan lotion
- Tar
- Tiger Moths
- Toilet bowl cleaners
- Toads
- Warfarin
- Wax
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- Castor Bean
- Daphne
- Foxglove
- Larkspur
- Lobelia
- Lily of the Valley
- Mistletoe
- Monkshood
- Poison Hemlock
- Sago Palm
- Water Hemlock
- Yew
Ethylene glycol is most commonly found in antifreeze, but can also be found in some detergents, paints, polishes, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Because of its sweet taste it is one of the more common poisonings seen in dogs and cats. A mere four ounces of ethylene glycol can be fatal to a 60-pound dog or 1-1/2 teaspoons to an average 10-pound cat. Even walking through an antifreeze contaminated puddle, then licking the paws can be enough to produce toxic signs.
Signs are seen within half hour to 12 hours of ingestion:
- Drunken gait, staggering
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
Prevention: Use and encourage your neighbors and friends to use propylene glycol-based antifreeze.Do not allow your pets to drink or walk through water puddles from which you do not know the origin.
Dogs and cats cannot metabolize the theobromine (caffeine like) in chocolate, potentially causing serious stomach upset, nervous excitement, fast heart rate and/or blood disorders. As little as one ounce of milk chocolate per 20 pounds is enough to create toxin signs. Semi-sweet chocolate and baker’s chocolate require much less amounts to cause serious signs.
Signs:
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Hyperactivity and excitement
- Seizures
- Severe depression
- Coma
- Death
First Aid: Transfer the animal to a veterinary facility as soon as possible. You may or may not be instructed to induce vomiting.
Prevention: Keep all chocolates well out of reach of pets. Remember, the smell is intense, they will chew through bags, jump, or climb on counters to reach the treat. Beware of placing any wrapped gift packages within pets’ reach especially during holidays, they may contain chocolates.
Xylitol is a sugar free sweetener used more commonly in Sugar Free Gum.
It increased the sensitivity if the animals to their own insulin and causes life threatening hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar). It also causes liver damage.
Signs
- Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
- Severe depression
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
Prevention: Keep all sugar free gum well out of reach of pets. Remember, the smell is intense, they will chew through bags, jump, or climb on counters to reach the treat. Beware of placing any wrapped gift packages within pets’ reach especially during holidays, they may contain chocolates.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- Acetaminophen
- Alcohol
- Antifreeze
- Antihistamines
- Ammonia
- Aspirin Barbiturates
- Caffeine
- Carbamates
- Carbon Monoxide
- Crayons
- Chocolate
- Copper pennies
- Cosmetics
- De-icers
- DDT
- Drugs (marijuana, etc.)
- Deodorants
- Denture cleaners
- Disinfectants
- Drain cleaners
- Fertilizers
- Fireplace colors
- Fireworks
- Fleet Enemas
- Fluoride
- Furniture polish
- Gasoline
- Gila Monsters
- Glues and adhesives
- Hair Sprays
- Hair colorings
- Insecticides
- Ibuprofen
- Insects
- Indoor plants
- Livestock dips
- Lye
- Lead
- Matches
- Metal cleaners
- Nail polish
- Nicotine
- OFF insect spray
- Onions
- Organophosphate
- Overheated fat
- Oven cleaners
- Paint/varnish remover
- Perfumes
- Petroleum Distillates
- Pine Oil Disinfectants
- Pyrethrin’s
- Rodenticides
- Rubbing alcohol
- Rust removers
- Scorpions
- Shampoo
- Snakes
- Spiders
- Spoiled foods
- Strychnine
- Styptic pencils
- Suntan lotion
- Tar
- Tiger Moths
- Toilet bowl cleaners
- Toads
- Warfarin
- Wax
- Spiders
- Spoiled foods
- Strychnine
- Styptic pencils
- Suntan lotion
- Tar
- Tiger Moths
- Toilet bowl cleaners
- Toads
- Warfarin
- Wax
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- Castor Bean
- Daphne
- Foxglove
- Larkspur
- Lobelia
- Lily of the Valley
- Mistletoe
- Monkshood
- Poison Hemlock
- Sago Palm
- Water Hemlock
- Yew