(Photo by Marlene Karas for Bayer Advantage via AP Images)
It's National Poison Prevention Week, and the
Pet Poison Helpline reminds you that your four-legged family members are among the most vulnerable to poisoning.
Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT and assistant director at the helpline said the center receives calls every day of the year from distressed pet owners across the country.
"In addition to dealing with the stress of an emergency situation, they are often forced to cope with feelings of regret in light of a mishap that, in most cases, could have been avoided," Brutlag said.
Last year, more than 90 percent of the calls the center received involved dogs, and of those calls, nearly half involved dogs that had ingested human medicine, either over-the-counter or prescription. The majority of cases involved antidepressants.
"It takes only a few minutes to educate yourself on how to pet-proof appropriately and avoid the inevitable heartache that so often happens when a beloved pet is accidentally poisoned," Brutlag said.
Pet Poison Helpline put together a list of the five most common toxins that poisoned dogs in 2012. Human medications tops the list followed by human foods, insecticides, rodenticides and finally, dietary supplements and vitamins.
Emergencies involving dogs that had consumed human food accounted for 16 percent of the calls the center received. Chocolate was a significant culprit with dark chocolate being the most dangerous due to its high levels of theobromine. Theobromine is a relative of caffeine that can be deadly to pets, said the helpline. A dog's ingestion of xylitol, a sweetener found in sugarless candies and gum, is also very dangerous.
Raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, garlic, onions, yeast-based dough and table salt are also toxic to dogs, the helpline said.
In 1961 Congress designated the third week of March as National Poison Prevention Week.
If you think your pet may have ingested something harmful, contact your veterinarian immediately.
For more details on the top five toxins the helpline found to get dogs sick, visit the
Pet Poison Helpline.
