March 18th to 24th is National Poison Prevention Week. At GVA we want everyone to pay special attention to your furry family members as they are one of the most vulnerable to these types of accidents.
Here's a brief overview of the most common types of poisons that have extremely negative effects on pets.
Medications: 
ACE Inhibitors: Drugs that are commonly used to treat high blood pressure in humans such as Zestril and Altace are also used to treat the same thing in pets. However it's easy to over does and this may cause extremely low blood pressure, dizziness, and weakness. Typically is your pet has ingested this they are okay to be monitored at home unless your pet has any liver or heart disease.
Acetaminophen: Another painkiller that is toxic to dogs is Acetaminophen, found in brands such as Tylenol. Acetaminophen is especially dangerous in cats but still should not be given to dogs either. In Cats Acetaminophen can cause damage to a cat's red blood cells limiting their ability to carry oxygen throughout their systems whereas, in dogs, it could result in GI tract problems and kidney failure.
Antidepressants: While some antidepressants are used in pets to help treat anxiety, overdosing on them can cause serious neurological issues such as sedation, seizures, and incoordination. Some antidepressants such as Effexor, Cymbalta, and Prozac can cause an increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Cats are known for being curious and seem to enjoy the taste of some antidepressants. One pill is enough to cause serious problems. Make sure to keep all medications in their pill bottles and stored in a closed cabinet.
ADD/ADHD Medications: Some ADD and ADHD medications such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta contain stimulates which also contain Acetaminophen and Methylphenidate. Like Acetaminophen, these other types of stimulants in even the smallest doses can cause high blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperatures.
Birth Control: Birth control pills thankfully, come in small doses and while small amounts of estrogen aren't cause for alarm, large doses can cause bone marrow suppression. Birds are at the highest risk for this compared to other household animals. In pets that aren't spayed, they are at a higher risk of estrogen poisoning.
NSAIDs: Pain killers and anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen are the major ones and while these household medications are effective with humans, they can cause GI tract problems and kidney failure. These are found in brands such as Advil and types of Motrin. If your dog or cat is in any type of pain, please don't hesitate to contact us and let us help!
Sleep Aids and Anxiety Medications: Drugs like Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien, and Lunesta have the opposite effect on pets that they do with humans. Instead of relaxing and claiming down, pets have been known to become agitated. These medications also can cause your pet to become lethargic, walking around 'drunk', incoordination, and slower breathing. In cats, Benzodiazepines have been known to cause liver failure.
Foods:
Alcohol: While some find it funny to get a dog 'drunk' that drunk that's happening is more then what happens to people. Small amounts of alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma, and death. Giving your pet alcohol is actually considered animal cruelty and is punishable with jail times and heavy fines. While accidents do happens, dogs also do seem to enjoy the taste of beer. Make sure to keep a watchful eye out if you have drinks on low coffee tables and if you believe your pet may have ingested any amount of alcohol, please contact us.
Avocados: With the influx of healthy lifestyles, avocados are almost a staple in US homes now. While Avocados have a lot of benefits to human health they have quite the opposite on pets. Avocados are known to cause hearth damage in birds, it can also cause vomiting and diarrhea in other pets.
Bones: You think you may be making your dog excited when giving them raw bones but you may be hurting them instead. besides the chance they may choke on the bones, they have been known to splinter and can puncture the throat, stomach, and GI Tract. There are a lot of alternatives out there just for pets if you want to give them something fun and different.
Chocolate, Coffee, and Caffeine: All three of these contain methylxanthines which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and death. When it comes to chocolate, the darker it is the more methylxanthine is in it. White Chocolate poses the smallest threat to pets whereas Dark Chocolate is the most dangerous.
Grapes & Raisins: It's unknown exactly why grapes can cause kidney failure and why sometimes it doesn't. Until we can figure out why they are so damaging to pets, especially dogs, it's best to not take the chance and stay away from feeding your dog them.
Onions, Garlic, and Chives: These common veggies can cause GI tract irritation and can lead to red blood cell death. Cats are more likely to be affected by small amounts but in large amounts, dogs are also at risk.
Xylitol: This is a low-calorie sweetener used in a lot of products such as gum, candy, and toothpaste. It can cause insulin release in most pets which can turn into liver failure. The fake sugar and the increased levels of insulin can lead to low sugar levels or hyperglycemia. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination. Late stage symptoms are seizures and liver failure which can arise a few days after ingestion.
Weed Poison, Pest Poison, and Fertilizer:
Herbicides: This type of poison used to kill plants is the least dangerous to pets. They carry a wide margin of error and symptoms severity max out at stomach problems such as vomiting diarrhea, and discomfort.
Glyphosate is an amino acid inhibitor that blocks certain pathways in plants. These pathways are not present in aminals and there for only cause GI inflammation with vomiting and diarrhea.
Chlorophenoxy Herbicide disrupts protein synthesis and is primarily used to control broadleaf weeds. This Herbicide causes GI inflammation with vomiting and diarrhea. In some cases where large amounts of concentrate or industrial strength portions have been ingested, it can cause myotonia, ataxia, and tremors.
Other herbicides to watch out for with fewer server symptoms are Benzoic Acid, Pyridine, Dinitroaniline, and Benzam
Insecticides & Pesticides: Insecticides and Pesticides are much more common and are used in a wide variety of locations. These poisons are much more worrisome with accidental exposures and carry more severe symptoms such as Burns, Seizures, Coma, and Death.
Acephate is a common insecticide, it can cause muscle tremors, diarrhea, and ataxia. Symptoms are most commonly seen around 6 hours after ingestion. Birds are the most susceptible to Acephate and symptoms include depression, feather puffing, dropped wings, and death within as little as half an hour after ingestion.
D-Phenothrin is especially dangerous to cats. D-Phenothrin was used in topical feal and tick treatment up until the early 21st century. Use stopped in 2005 after the chemical was linked to hair loss, tremors, and death in cats. No adverse effect have been found when used on dogs and is still available to them.
Fertilizer: On top of containing possible pesticides to help maintain your lawn, certain ingredentis can be harmful to your pet. Ingestion and even contact can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis.
Bone Meal is a common mineral supplement that is used to reintroduce calcium to the ground. Small amounts can cause indigestion, vomiting, and diarrhea. In rare cases or when a large amount of Bone Meal is eaten it can also cause an obstruction.
Blood Meal is also used to help reintroduce elements to the ground but can also work as deer and rabbit repellent. Ingestion may lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis.
Iron is also used in fertilizer and depending on how much is ingested can lead to iron poisoning. Factors that can increase this rick is whether it was eaten right out of the bag or from the ground and the type of iron used in the fertilizer. Symptoms start very similar to general fertilizer toxicity but the more the pet has eaten or more concentrated the iron is, symptoms can progress to Lethargy, tachycardia, and liver and kidney issues.
If you have any questions about your pets, flea and tick treatments, or products that are safe to use in your home, please contact us. We are more than happy to assist.
Flowers: 
Autumn Crocus: These plants can cause an intense burning sensation, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, liver and kidney damage, and even heart problems. While the entire plant is considered toxic to dogs, it's the bulbs that are the worst for them.
Azaleas: These are a huge staple for springtime but ingestion of even just a few leaves can be harmful to your pet. The plant can cause vomiting, diarrhea, blood pressure drops, coma, and even death.
Easter Lily: All type of lilies are poisonous to cats. Even if only a small amount of the plant is eaten, it can still result in kidney failure and is treated as an emergency. The sooner the treatment is started the better the prognosis.
Sago Palm: A house plant and native to the South, all parts of this plant are considered dangerous but the seeds are the most toxic part of the plant. Ingestion can cause liver failure in severe cases but it can also cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death. The Sago Palm is so toxic that even with treatment the survival rate hovers around 50%.
Fox Glove: These flowers are actually poisonous to humans as well! Fox Gloves contain cardiac glycoside toxins and can cause heart problems, vomiting, diarrhea, high potassium levels, seizures, and even death.
Oleander: While the beauty of this plant is almost unmatched, it is highly toxic to dogs and can cause a fatal heart attack. On top of disrupting the heart, it can also cause muscle tremors, incoordination, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.
If you do have a situation where your pet ingests toxins, call your veterinarian right away and they can advise you of what to do next. You can also contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) hotline at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.