Although you can likely identify some common household toxins, you may be unaware of the many toxins that can cause your pet a life-threatening illness. March is National Pet Poison Prevention Month, and while you may assume your pet is always safe in your home, this outlook impedes your poison prevention game. To help you protect your pet from common household toxins, our Milford Animal Hospital team responds to your pet poisoning questions. 

Question: Can veterinary-prescribed medications be toxic to pets?

Answer:  All medications—including veterinary-prescribed medications—are potentially hazardous to dogs and cats. If your pet has a medical condition, your veterinarian may prescribe a medication to manage or treat your pet’s specific condition. When choosing the drug and dosage appropriate for your pet, your veterinarian considers your furry pal’s age, weight, health history, allergies, and current medications. Never share one pet’s veterinary-prescribed medication with another pet—especially across species— without first consulting with your veterinarian. Many canine prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) topical flea and tick preventives contain the synthetic compound permethrin, which is safe for dogs, but highly toxic to cats. Although you may mean well, if you give your cat a product containing permethrin, your feline friend can experience seizures, a coma, and, in severe cases, death.

Q: Why can’t I share my medication with my pet?

A: While many veterinary drugs are the same as those intended for people, each species metabolizes medications differently. If you give your pet the same drug dosage that’s appropriate for you, they can experience serious health complications. In addition, many medications approved for people can harm your pet, including:

  • Nonsteroidal anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) —  NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen sodium, can cause pets to experience vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, and liver and kidney damage.
  • Acetaminophen —  Acetaminophen is a popular pain reliever that can cause liver damage in pets. Cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen because they are unable to metabolize the drug efficiently. Pets’ acetaminophen toxicity signs include inappetence, lethargy, salivation, vomiting, and respiratory distress.
  • Antidepressants — Some antidepressant drugs that people take are prescribed at veterinary doses for cats and dogs with anxieties or phobias. However, pets should never be given antidepressant medications without a veterinary prescription, because human dosing and pet dosing are significantly different.
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication — If your pet ingests ADHD medication, they can experience an increase in their blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate. 
  • Decongestants and allergy medications — Decongestants have stimulant-like effects and can be harmful or deadly to pets.
  • Heart medications — Heart medications, such as calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, are incredibly dangerous to pets and can cause a severe blood pressure drop, slow heart rate or arrhythmia, heart or respiratory failure, and coma. Gastrointestinal (GI), neurologic, and respiratory signs can also occur. 

Q: Is chocolate really that bad for pets?

A: Chocolate is toxic to pets, because it contains theobromine and caffeine—methylxanthines—which are chemical compounds that create a stimulant effect on the nervous system and heart. While dogs are more likely to consume chocolate in significant quantities, cats and dogs are equally sensitive to methylxanthines and experience similar effects. Chocolate’s toxicity level depends on the amount of theobromine that your pet ingests compared with their weight. The chocolate type your pet ingests is also important, because the theobromine amount varies—the darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more toxic.

Q: Why are lilies toxic to pets?

A: Lilies’ beauty and fragrance make them a popular springtime flower, but lily plants can be especially dangerous to pets—especially cats. Plants in the lily family—which is large—include more than 160 genera. Plants belonging to the genera Hemerocallis and Lilium cause kidney failure in cats, and include common lilies such as the daylily, and the Asiatic hybrid, Easter, Japanese, tiger, and stargazer lilies. 

Most lilies are not considered poisonous to dogs. However, several lily types—including lily of the valley, and peace, calla, prairie (i.e., rain ), and gloriosa lilies—can cause cats and dogs GI issues and mouth discomfort. 

Q: Which cleaning products are toxic to pets?

A: Many popular cleaning products contain chemicals that can harm your pet. Products that contain bleach, ammonia, chlorine, formaldehyde, phenol, and isopropyl alcohol are all highly toxic. Use products whose labels specify they can be used safely around pets. If you must use cleaning products that have toxic ingredients or hazard warnings, such as danger, warning, and caution, use them in a well-ventilated area.

Learning to identify common pet toxins can greatly reduce your pet’s poison ingestion risk. However, accidents happen, and if you suspect your pet has ingested a harmful household toxin, immediately contact our Milford Animal Hospital team or the Animal Poison Control Center.