Fall Hazards for Pets
Holiday Hazards
Gastric Dilation and Volvulus - Large Dogs are at Risk
Rodenticides - Toxic to Your Pets
Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
As summer fades into fall, the change in the weather can signal a change in potential hazards to pets. Rodents move indoors, increasing the use of rodenticides by homeowners. Automotive coolants are changed, increasing the potential for pets to be exposed to antifreeze. Cold and flu medications may become more widely used, increasing the possibility of accidental exposures of pets to these products. Listed below are some common products to which pets might be exposed in the fall.
Low Toxicity (may cause gastrointestinal upset, but unlikely to cause serious problems unless very large amounts are ingested):
- Glow jewelry, glow sticks (can cause intense taste reaction)
- School glues, epoxy glues
- Pencils
- Magic markers
- Charcoal briquettes
- Mosquito Dunks containing Bacillus thuringenesis
Moderate toxicity (may cause significant signs beyond mild gastrointestinal upset):
- Expandable wood glues (e.g. Elmer's ProBond, Gorilla Glue - even small amounts can form large gastric foreign bodies requiring surgical removal)
- Liquid potpourri
- Batteries
- Charcoal lighter fluid
- DEET
High toxicity (potential for very serious or life-threatening signs):
- Antifreeze/coolants
- Chocolate
- Rodenticides
- Human medications (cold and flu medications, decongestants)
- Alcoholid beverages
- Homemade "play-dough" (high sodium content)
No matter what holiday you're celebrating, there are things that may be hazardous if your pet gets into them.
Tips for Dealing with the Cold
(Adapted from the ASPCA's Top 10 Cold Weather Tips)
- In the winter, outdoor cats are more likely to freeze, become injured, or be hit by a car in poor visibility or icy conditions. Keep your cat inside to minimize the risk.
- In cold weather, outdoor cats will sometimes seek warmth and refuge under the hoods of cars. They can become injured or killed if they are still there when the car starts, so bang on your hood before you start your car on cold mornings.
- Don't allow your dog to go off leash on snow or ice, since a dog's sense of smell can be hindered in these conditions and they can become lost. Keep current ID tags on your animals.
- When your dog comes in from being in nasty weather, carefully clean his legs and stomach. Dogs can become exposed to salt, antifreeze and other chemicals while licking their paws. Learn more about ice melt exposure below.
- Don't give your dog a short haircut; longer coats provide more warmth. Always dry your dog completely after a bath. If you have a short-haired dog, use a sweater or turtleneck to cover the area between the base of the tail and the belly. Fleece booties are a great idea to keep your dog's feet from getting too cold (paw pads can bleed from snow or encrusted ice).
- A car can act like a refrigerator in cold weather, so don't allow your animals to stay in the car alone when it's cold.
- Puppies are less tolerant of cold than adult dogs. If your puppy is housetraining, you might want to paper train indoors to keep him warm. If you have a dog that is cold-sensitive (due to age, illness, or breed), only let him go outside to relieve himself.
- Give your dog more food if he spends a lot of time playing outside.
- If you have a spill of antifreeze or engine coolant from your car, clean it up immediately. Products that contain ethylene glycol can be lethal to companion animals; consider using products with propylene glycol instead.
- Give your pet a warm place to sleep at night away from cold air drafts.
Tips for Keeping a Safe Christmas Tree
- Even if a tree isn't decorated, it can become a serious hazard if it starts to topple. Try anchoring the tree to the ceiling with a cup hook and wire or string.
- If your animals enjoy nibbling on the tree's needles, try giving the lower branches a coating of a distasteful substance (cats don't like peppermint or other pungent oils, many dogs don't like bitter apple spray).
- Don't risk family heirloom ornaments and animal health! Place valuable, breakable ornaments out of reach and put only pet-friendly ones near the bottom of the tree. Try hanging ornaments with cloth loops instead of wire hooks.
- Tie up electrical cords or place them in a heavy plastic cord protector (available at hardware stores).
- Keep animals away from Christmas tree water. They may contain fertilizers and are a breeding ground for bacteria.
Here are some miscellaneous tips that can help your holidays be safe for your pets:
- Chocolate is often around more with the holidays. Depending on the size of your animal, how much he eats, and what kind of chocolate it is, this can be very dangerous, even fatal for your pet. The more "pure" the chocolate, the more toxic. For example, unsweetened baking chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate.
- Don't change your pet's diet. This can lead to severe indigestion, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- Don't give your pet leftovers and don't let them get into the garbage.
- Watch your animals around any alcoholic beverages - keep them out of reach!
- Keep aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers away from pets.
- Holiday floral arrangements may contain flowers that are toxic, especially lilies.
- Mistletoe and holly berries can be toxic to pets.
- Poinsettias are not very toxic, but can cause vomiting.
- Decorations such as tinsel and ribbon can cause intestinal blockage, especially in cats. Use decorations that are less enticing.
Surprisingly, macadamia nuts can be toxic to dogs. We're not sure what makes them toxic, but many affected dogs will start showing at least one clinical sign of ingestion within 12 hours. The toxic effect is made worse by concurrent ingestion of chocolate. Please call us if you think your dog might have gotten into this holiday delicacy. Here are some symptoms you might see:
Jerky, uncoordinated movements
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Depression
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Weakness
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Vomiting
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Tremors
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Unusually high body temperature
Products used to melt ice can be hazardous to all pets. During the winter months, it is fairly easy for your pet to become exposed to these products on sidewalks, in spills, or in areas where the melts have not been properly stored. The symptoms seen after exposure vary depending on the compound used and the species of the animal. Here's a comprehensive list of symptoms:
Drooling
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Depression
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Excess water consumption
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Diarrhea
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Vomiting
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Anorexia (not eating)
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Crying
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Disorientation
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Apprehension
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Irritated skin
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Lack of muscular control
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Seizing
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Tremors
Because ice melt exposure can be fatal, it's important to give us a call if you think your pet may have been exposed.
Large Dogs at Risk for Bloat (GDV)
Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV) is a life threatening disorder most commonly seen in large, deep-chested dogs. The term refers to a gas and fluid filled stomach. Sometimes the huge, gas-filled stomach twists upon itself (volvulus). This is a medical emergency that requires treatment for shock and surgery.
The definite cause is still unknown. The most common history includes eating or drinking rapidly and vigorous exercise. In recent studies, stress was found to be a contributing factor. Dogs that were found to be more relaxed and calm were at lower risk of developing GDV.
Some dogs are at greater risk than others; these include Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Weimaraners, Irish Setters, Gordon Setters, Standard Poodles, Basset Hounds, Doberman Pinschers, and Old English Sheepdogs. Other large dogs like Labradors and golden retrievers are also prone. Dr. Mich’s golden retriever, Toby, developed GDV in 1991.
The clinical signs of GDV are:
- · Belly appears swollen or “bloated”. Tapping the left side behind the last rib sounds like a drum
- · Repeated attempts to vomit.
- · Breathing becomes labored.
- · Pressure on larger blood vessels results in shock; the gums are bright red or very pale.
- · Dog collapses
Veterinary assistance must be sought immediately.
- · Stomach tube is passed by mouth to reduce pressure on the stomach wall and internal organs
- · Shock treatment includes intravenous fluids and other medications.
- · Emergency abdominal surgery is sometimes required to return the stomach to its proper position.
- · After surgery, several days of close monitoring are required to prevent and control serious complications.
The saddest part of this disease is that even in relatively uncomplicated cases there is a mortality rate of 15-20%. Dr. Mich’s dog died 4 days after his surgery.
All of this is very serious; can the condition be prevented?
The answer is a big YES! In high-risk breeds, we recommend preventative gastropexy; this is surgical attachment of the stomach to body wall that does not prevent dilatation (bloat), but does prevent twisting.
In the past, gastropexy required invasive abdominal surgery that included an incision of up to 6 or more inches in length, a minimum of 2 days hospitalization, and about 7-10 days of recovery. Many owners were reluctant to have the procedure performed on their large-breed dogs. Because of her personal experience with this devastating disease, Dr. Mich pursued learning a safer, faster, less invasive technique for gastropexy. She now performs preventative gastropexy with a laparoscope.
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In this technique, a fiberoptic telescope (laparoscope) is introduced into the abdomen through a ½ inch incision. Two other small incisions are made in the abdomen. The gastropexy is performed with a 2-3 inch extension of one incision on the right side of the abdomen to attach the stomach to the body wall. Patients are discharged the same day and recovery is typically 2 days or less. |
| Because of the ease, speed, and safety of this procedure compared to the seriousness of GDV, we now recommend preventative gastropexy on all at risk large breed dogs. If you would like more information on this exciting technique please contact one of our doctors. |
Most rat poisons are made of bromadiolone or brodifacoum, anticoagulants that cause the rodent to bleed to death internally. Dogs and cats can get into these chemicals, by either eating them directly, or by eating the mouse/rat that ate it. If caught in time, we can help these animals by getting the drug out of their system, and then giving them drugs that help stop internal bleeding.
A less familiar rodenticide is called bronethalin, which sounds and looks very similar to the previous two, but is completely different. This one causes edema, or swelling, of the brain and spinal cord. Days and up to over one week later, it can cause seizures, tremors, paralysis, coma, and death from respiratory failure. Cats are more sensitive than dogs.
It's extremely important to keep these chemicals out of your pet's way!! There are other alternatives to poison, which are safer if your pet gets near them. If you suspect your pet has eaten any type of rodenticide, it's very important to bring the box in, so we know which drug is the active ingredient.
Information is from CatWatch, January 2004. Visit them at www.catwatchnewsletter.com.
In the spring, we want to spruce up our homes and sometimes that means bringing new foliage into our homes and gardens. Learn which plants are okay for little Fluffy to chew on and which ones would be harmful to her. You can visit the Animal Poison Control Center's webpage if you don't know the name of the plant you are concerned about. It lists plants in categories such as bulbs, ferns, house plants, lilies, etc, and gives you pictures to help figure out which plant you have. They also have pictures and descriptions of some plants listed below. It lists common signs your pet may exhibit if he/she has ingested the plant. Two more great websites are the CSU Toxic Plant Database, and the Cornell Database. Please visit these sites if you do not see the plant you are looking for in the list below. By the way, the morning glory pictured above is poisonous!
Toxic Plants (Common Name)
| A Aconite Adam-and-Eve Plant Algerian Lily Aloe Amaryllis American Coffee Berry Tree Andromeda Japonica Apple (seeds) Apricot (pit) Arrowhead Arum Asian Lily (Lilliaceae) Asparagus Fern Australian Nut Autumn Crocus Avocado Azalea B C D E F |
G German Ivy Gill-over-the-ground Glacier Ivy Gladiolas Glory Lily Gold Dieffenbachia Gold Dust Dracaena Golden Chain Tree Golden Pothos Green Gold Nephthysis Ground Ivy H I J K L M N O |
P Panoa Peace Lily (Mauna Loa Peace Lily) Peach (wilting leaves, pits) Pencil Tree Peony (roots) Philodendron Pertusum Pigweed Plumosa Fern Poinsettia Poison Hemlock Poison Ivy Poison Oak Poison Sumac Poison Tobacco Poke Poppy Potato (green parts) Pothos Precatory Bean Privit Purple Mint Q R S T U V W Y |
Non-Toxic Plants
| A Achira Acorn squash African violet Algaroba Aluminum plant Alumroot American rubber Anthericum comosum Antirrhinum multiflorum Arabian gentian Aregelia Artillery plant Aspidium falcatum Aubepine Autumn olive B C D |
Davallia trichomanoides Desert trumpet Dichelostemma Dichorisandra reginae Dinteranthus vanzylii Duffii fern Duffy fern Dwarf date palm Dwarf feather fern Dwarf palm Dwarf Rose-Stripe Star Dwarf royal palm Dwarf whitman fern E F G H I J K L |
Leather peperomia Leng-fen tu'an Leopard lily Leopard orchid Lesser snapdragon Lily of the valley orchid Linden Lipstick plant Little zebra plant Little fantasy peperomia Living rock cactus Living stones Locust pods Lou-lang-t'ou Luther M N O P Q R |
Roosevelt fern Royal velvet plant Rubber plant, baby Russian olive S T U V W Y Z |
