Dangerous Household Toxins
Make Your House Pet-Safe!

There are many dangerous chemicals, plants and other substances we have around our house that we sometimes do not even realize can pose a danger to our pets.  Below is a list of common ingested toxins and why they are so bad.  Hopefully this can help you pet-proof your house!

Chemical Toxins

  • Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze) causes kidney failure, and has a sweet smell and taste that can be tempting for dogs and cats.  Antifreeze is usually a yellow-green liquid.  Treatment is expensive and is only useful for a few hours following ingestion.  Unfortunately, most pets aren't seen ingesting antifreeze and by the time they present for treatment kidney failure has already set in and nothing can be done.  If you keep antifreeze in your garage, keep it up high and always watch for antifreeze leaks in older vehicles.
  • Prescription and OTC medication, especially ADD medication, Tylenol, and Aspirin are commonly eaten by pets.  Symptoms can be dramatic and some of these medications are lethal to pets.  Always keep your prescription bottles in high cabinets.  Remember that most dogs will chew through the plastic bottles if they want the medication badly enough!  Also, sweet flavoring on the coating on pills or capsules entices animals to eat them!
  • Rat and mouse poisons can cause life-threatening bleeding disorders.  They also are sweetened in order to attract the mice and rats, so your dog or cat can be easily tempted.  Dogs and cats can also become intoxicated with these poisons if they eat deceased rodents that died from poisoning.  It is always safer if you have pets to go with a different form of rodent control.
  • Cocoa mulch is a new product that can be extremely deadly.  This mulch is basically made up of chocolate, so eating it can cause a severe chocolate overdose in dogs and cats that may not be able to be treated.
  • OTC flea and tick treatments can be toxic if applied to the wrong animal or in the incorrect dosage.  Cats should never be administered products containing pyrethrin or pyrethroid substances.   Prescription flea and tick preventatives are much safer.

Plant Toxins

Here is a short list of some of the more common toxic plants:
  • Oleander
  • Lilies (any flower in the lily family is toxic to cats)
  • Kalanchoe
  • Lantana
  • Amaryllis
  • Sago Palm
  • Mistletoe
  • Azalea
Interestingly enough, new varieties of poinsettias are no longer toxic to dogs and cats (except for potentially upset stomachs if they eat a lot of the plant).

Toxic Foods

Below is a list of human foods that are toxic to animals.  Never allow your pet access to any of the following:
  • Chocolate
  • Other highly caffeinated foods (coffee, teas)
  • Grapes or raisins
  • Onions and onion powder
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Avocado
  • Yeast dough
  • Xylitol-containing products (this is an artificial sweetener used in sugar-free products)
  • Alcohol