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Posts Tagged ‘Animal Poison Control’

Top Ten Tuesday: Animal Toxins

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , , on April 10, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Did you know the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [aka, ASPCA] operates a Poison Control Center? It’s true. If your pet ingests something toxic, get advice from trained professionals by calling their 24-hour Hotline at 1-888-426-4435. Have your credit card available, as there is a fee for service.

Recently, the ASPCA Poison Control Center mined its data to discover the Top Ten Animal Toxin calls that it received in 2017, based on 199,000 cases.

Top Ten Animal Toxins of 2017 – Click to enlarge

 

 

 

1. Human prescription medications: 17.5%

2. Over-the-counter medications: 17.4%

3. Food: 10.9%

4. Veterinary products: 8.9%

5. Chocolate: 8.8%

6. Household items: 8.6%

7. Insecticides: 6.7%

8. Rodenticides: 6.3%

9. Plants: 5.4%

10. Garden products: 2.6%

On your next visit to Little Creek Veterinary Clinic, pick up a brochure on 101 household items that can be harmful to your pet!

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Happy Easter!

Posted in Beyond, Pet Health, tagged , , , , on March 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Victorian003

Tonight is the first night of the Easter Triduum:  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, which bring Lent to an end and begin the Easter Season.

Since I won’t be posting on Sunday, allow me this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Easter.

 

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As for the pet-related content, remember that chocolate (especially dark chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder) and candies containing the artificial sweetener Xylitol are especially toxic to pets.

We have a Chocolate Toxicity Wheel provided by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, which assists the veterinarian in determining the relative risk of chocolate ingestion in dogs. But let’s be honest: it’s better if we never have to use it! Keep those Easter treats of out your pet’s reach.

 

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Product Spotlight: Pill Crusher/Splitter

Posted in Pet Health, Special Offers, tagged , , , , , , on November 21, 2012| 3 Comments »

Q:  What happens when you combine your pet’s thyroid pills with your blood pressure medication?

A:  You don’t want to find out.

And you don’t have to. For safety’s sake, always use a separate pill splitter for your pet’s medication. If you share, some pill dust may remain behind on the splitter, inadvertently exposing you to your pet’s drugs or exposing your pet to your medication.

Though the risk of cross-contamination may be small, it’s not a risk worth taking.

We recommend our combo pill splitter/crusher to better enable you to conceal medication in your pet’s food. As a bonus, it is unlikely to look like the device you use for your own meds, so there’s no confusing the two.

The brand we carry has a splitter

a crusher 

and compartments for holding small quantities of pills.

Take it apart for easy cleaning 

then snap it back together for easy storage. 

Pick one up on your next visit to our clinic!

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Pet poisoning from human drug ingestion is a common occurrence. 
Keep these numbers on hand in the event of a poisoning emergency:

Pet Poison Helpline……………………………………1-800-213-6680

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center……….1-888-426-4435

BluePearl Veterinary Emergency Hospital….757-499-5463

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Quick links to past articles on pets and medication.

Tylenol toxicity

Top Toxic Human Medications

 

 

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Protect your pet from this common yard hazard

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , , , on September 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

 

     If you’ve noticed mushrooms sprouting in the yard, pull them up and dispose of them in a tightly lidded trash can.  Depending on the variety of mushrooms, ingestion can lead to gastrointestinal upset, seizures, even death.

 

     Although dogs are more likely to sample the fungus among us, cats are at risk, also.  Signs of mushroom toxicosis include vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive drooling.  More serious signs to watch for are convulsions, muscle spasms, and fly-biting seizures (snapping at the air.) Pets can also develop serious kidney and liver disorders as a result of eating mushrooms.

 

 

     If you think your pet has ingested mushrooms, take him to the emergency hospital.  If you are able to locate a piece of the mushroom in question, wrap it in paper towels and carry it in a paper (not plastic) bag to show the vet. 

 

Source:  Article by Dennis Blodgett, DVM, PhD, Diplomate, ABVT, Toxicology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

 

 

 

 

Important phone numbers for a pet poison emergency:
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 1-888-426-4435
Pet Poison Helpline 1-800-213-6680
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This article was originally posted on September 13, 2011.

 

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Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Toxicity in Pets

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2011| 5 Comments »

    

     If you’ve ever considered giving Tylenol or its generic equivalent to a sick or injured pet, take our advice:  Don’t do it.

     Dogs and cats are not little people in fur coats.  Their physiology is significantly different from ours, such that our medicine cabinet staples can be poisonous to them.

     Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen) is deadly to dogs and cats.  Even one tablet is too much for a cat.  Acetaminophen causes severe liver damage, as well as damage to oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

     Signs of Tylenol poisoning include vomiting, breathing difficulty, lethargy, weakness, drooling, and brown-colored gums.  The second stage of poisoning includes swelling of the face, lips and legs; loss of coordination; convulsions and coma.  If a pet survives stage 2, it will go into stage 3 and exhibit jaundice due to liver failure; belly pain and an altered mental state.

     Tylenol poisoning must always be treated as an emergency:  take your pet directly to the 24-hour emergency hospital, such as the Tidewater Animal Emergency and Referral Center (364 South Independence Blvd. in Virginia Beach.)  Pets which recover may need to be on medications and specialized diets to compensate for reduced liver function, for life.

     In short, there is no acceptable case in which to give Tylenol or acetaminophen!

Resource:  http://petplace.com/dogs/acetaminophen-toxicity-in-dogs/page1.aspx

                   http://petplace.com/cats/acetaminophen-toxicity-in-cats/page1.aspx

Helpful Phone Numbers

Tidewater Animal Emergency & Referral Center…………757-499-5463

Pet Poison Helpline ($35 per incident fee)…………………1-800-213-6680  www.petpoisonhelpline.com

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center ($65 fee)…………1-888-426-4435  www.aspca.org/apcc

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