DO YOU KNOW OF THESE POISONS?

Do you watch your cats lick themselves clean after playing on the carpet or let them

eat treats off the floor? Do you enjoy watching them lounged out taking a

snooze on the floor? Do you use household cleaners? If you answered yes, you

must know the following information. Animals have faster metabolisms and

smaller lungs than we do. Their bodies have to work harder to try and eliminate

these toxins. Not only are they processing these chemicals at a faster rate,

they are also breathing them in more rapidly.

Did you know many household cleaners contain a chemical called formaldehyde
(also known as embalming solution), which could cause severe irritation to
our pet's eyes, throat and skin? Or how about rug and carpet shampoos, they
contain a chemical called perchloroethylene, which can cause dizziness,
insomnia, nausea, tremors and loss of appetite? Some floor polishes contain
chemicals that can cause cancer as well as damage to the heart, kidneys,
liver and central nervous system. As a matter of fact, most household
products do not even warn you of the chemical dangers they could cause.

So how toxic is your house? According to the EPA (Environmental

Protection Agency) 50% of all illness can be traced to indoor pollution,

which can be directly related to the use of household cleaners.

Many products on the shelves today claim to be safe,

yet have warning labels. If a product is safe why do they need to

warn you of danger? Most rooms in most homes contain these

products which could cause any of the following; cancer, birth defects,

or changes in human genetic structures. If it is affecting our health

in this way imagine what it's doing to our pets.

Consider the effect of the following on your pet:

Animals are obviously closer to the ground, which puts them in direct contact with

these harmful substances. This makes them more vulnerable to toxic poisoning,

which could result in death. Signs and symptoms of toxic poisoning can range from

excessive drooling, vomiting and shallow breathing
to muscle twitching, convulsions and seizures.

Develop a more acute awareness about the chemicals to which your pet/s are
exposed. Don't just trust grocery store labels and compelling commercial ads
seen on television. Take the lead right now to ensure the cleaning products
you purchase are safe for you, your pet and the environment. Shop for them
at your local health food store. The cost is the same as chemical cleaners
and you may even save thousands of dollars in vet bills!

If you suspect a toxic substance has poisoned your animal,

induce vomiting immediately with some warm salt water or a

little hydrogen peroxide (dosage varies based on size of animal).

Call the National Animal Poison Control Center at (800) 548-2423.

They will guide you through the necessary procedures you

must take to save your pets life.

TOLL-FREE POISON CONTROL NUMBERS

Signs of poisoning include listlessness, abdominal pain, vomiting,

diarrhea, muscle tremors, lack of coordination and fever.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

for 24-hour emergency information. 1-888-426-4435 - 1-888-4ANI-HELP

(Note: the extra "P" at the end of this is to help you remember

the number, if you dial the P at the end, your call will still go through.)

The $45 fee may be applied to a credit card.
 

NSAL America Animal Poison Hotline.

Call toll free for service, 1-888-232-8870.

There is a $35 charge per incident, and may be paid by credit card.
 

POISONOUS PLANTS

They may be beautiful and cheer up the house both inside and out but consider

what has more beauty and does the most cheering up.

POISONOUS ITEMS

FOODS

FATTY/SPOILED FOODS

BONES are bad for animals! Every year countless numbers of animals end

up in the emergency room from being given bones by their owners, usually as a

treat. The fact is that dogs are omnivores, not carnivores and most dogs and

cats cannot tolerate bones. They can splinter or lodge in the intestinal tract with

disastrous results, usually requiring surgery. They can also get stuck in their

mouth or throat, which is just as dangerous. All bones are bad, including pork,

chicken and beef. The next time you feel the urge to give your dog a bone,

just make sure it's a milk bone or a nylabone. Your pet will love you for it.

CHOCOLATE can be lethal to pets because it contains theobromine, which

causes increased heart rate, central nervous system stimulation and constriction

of arteries. Clinical symptoms range from vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness,

and excitability to cardiac failure, seizures and death. This can occur as quickly as

four to six hours after ingestion. Baking chocolate is the worst because it

contains the highest amount of theobromine. A potential lethal dose is only one

pound of chocolate in a 16-pound dog. If your pet has gotten into chocolate

you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

ALCOHOL is also very bad for cats and dogs. It doesn't take much alcohol to

intoxicate a pet. Animals will stagger and bump into things, hurting themselves,

and it also causes them to urinate uncontrollably. In high doses, alcohol will

suppress the central nervous, respiratory and cardiac systems and can lead to

death. It is best to just give your pet water.

MILK is also not good for animals because many of them are lactose intolerant

and will develop diarrhea. Pets often lack the enzyme that is required to break

down the sugar in milk and this can cause them to develop vomiting, diarrhea and

other gastrointestinal symptoms. Even though they like it, especially cats,

refrain from giving your pets milk.
HAM & OTHER SALTY FOODS are very dangerous to pets.

In addition to being high in fat, they are also very salty which can cause serious

stomach ache or pancreatitis. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may

drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called "bloat."

This is where the stomach fills up with gas and within several hours may twist,

causing the pet to die. Please avoid giving ham and salty foods to your pets.
ONIONS (onion powder), GARLIC, CHIVES are toxic to pets.

They contain allyl propyl disulfide, which damages their red blood

cells and can cause fatal consequences in animals.

They may become anemic, weak and have trouble breathing.

The best thing to do if your pet ingests onions is to get them to the vet right away.
CAFFEINE is also bad for pets. It contains methylated xanthine that, like

chocolate, stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems and within

several hours can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations and even death.

So make sure your pets stay away from that early morning brew.
AVOCADOS are also bad for pets. First, they are really high in fat and can cause

stomach upset, vomiting and even pancreatitis. Second, the pit is also toxic and can

get lodged in the intestinal tract leading to a severe blockage, which may require surgery.
TUNA FISH although it may come as a surprise to many, is bad for cats.

The feline heart muscle requires an amino acid called taurine to maintain

 normal strength and function. Regular tuna fish for humans does not have

this amino acid and cats that eat too much tuna fish will develop heart problems.

If you want to give your cats that taste of tuna that they love, just make

sure it is tuna fish for cats which has this amino acid added.
RAISINS & GRAPES have been found, by latest study, can lead to kidney

failure in pets. Small dogs can also choke on grapes so it is best to just make

sure that your pets eat a well-balanced diet that is formulated for their life stage.

XYLITOL (gum, candies or other foods sweetened with)

RAW YEAST DOUGH

BEANS

MACADAMIA NUTS

TOMATO

POTATOE

RHUBARB (leaves & stems)

TEA LEAVES