TOXINS: HERE IS HOW YOU CAN SAVE YOUR CATS AND DOGS FROM ITS EFFECTS

Your pets, such as cats and dogs, come into contact with many odors and objects at home. But these odors and objects can cause some potential dangers. That’s why you need to know some of the dangerous and hazardous substances in your home for your pets.

Household cleaning materials and medicines are often toxic and obvious hazards. But there are also some hidden dangers. Some foods can even be risky and toxic to pets. We made a list of these dangerous substances so that you are more aware of these toxins in your everyday life.

Medicines

Pets can be poisoned by human drugs. Therefore, never give human drugs to your cats or dogs. Keep medicines out of the reach of your pet. If you think that your pet has mistakenly taken some medication they shouldn’t have, you should contact your local veterinarian immediately.

As an example; Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can have effects such as depression, vomiting, and dark urine in cats and dogs. Aspirin is toxic to most cats. It may have symptoms such as stomach ulcers and blood in the stool. Ibuprofen can cause vomiting, liver and kidney damage. Pepto Bismol shows symptoms such as stomach ulcers and blood in the stool.

Poisonous Plants and Flowers

Many flowers and plants can also be toxic to pets. Symptoms may vary depending on the type and amount of plants and flowers that pets come into contact with. Some plants and flowers cause mild stomach discomfort, while other plants and flowers can lead to coma or even death. So before you buy a plant or flower for your home, you need to investigate if it is toxic for your pets.

If your pet swallows a toxic plant or flower, immediately remove any pieces from its mouth. Rinse your pet’s mouth with water; and then check for changes such as swelling and redness around the mouth, eyes, or paws. If there is saliva in the mouth area, clean it immediately. Then find out what the plant or flower your pet is eating. Get your pet treated right away from your local veterinarian.

Remember that plants like apple kernels, azalea, horse chestnut, buttercup, calendula, lily, delphinium, holly berries, iris, mistletoe, nightshade, oak, philodendrons, poinsettia, potato and rhododendron are toxic for most pets.

Pesticides

Insect venom, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and insecticides are toxic hazards for your pet. Your pet can get sick if it comes into contact with these chemicals. Apart from this, it can be exposed to dangerous insects such as beetles that if swallowed; can become poisonous. Common symptoms of pesticide poisoning are internal bleeding, blood in stool, dyspnoea, nosebleeds, fatigue and in most extreme cases death. If you encounter such a situation, you should immediately wash the area where the chemical came into contact. If ingested, seek medical help from your local veterinarian immediately.

House Cleaning Products

Products such as detergents, soaps, shampoos, surface cleaning products, air fresheners, antifreeze, ethylene glycol have a toxic effect on your pet. Therefore, it is very important that you prefer natural and organic household cleaning products.

Foods

Many different foods that people eat can be toxic and harmful to animals. That’s why you need to pay attention to what foods and drinks are given to your pet in your home.

Alcohol, avocado, baby food, baked fish, baked poultry, baked pork, caffeinated products, chocolate, coffee, grapes, raisins, hops, iron vitamin supplements, macadamia nuts, dairy products, mushrooms are some toxic foods for pets.

Apart from that, foods such as garlic, onion, peach kernel, raw egg white, raw fish, salt, sugar, sugary foods, tomato and tobacco products can harm the health of your pets.

What Is Poisoning Our Pets?

These toxins that find their way into our pets’ systems generally affect their cells and organs. These toxic substances accumulate in the cells of tissues and organs. Cells get damaged and because of this, their structure and function are impaired. Then toxic symptoms occur and if the toxicity is very severe it can lead to long term diseases such as cancer, kidney failure, and liver failure to name a few.

Symptoms of Toxic Poisoning in Pets

Symptoms of toxic poisoning in your pet can be very diverse. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, drooling, coughing, shortness of breath, drowsiness, skin inflammation, depression, irritability, hyperactivity, irregular heartbeats, muscle tremors, coma, pale gums, bruising, blood vomiting, fatigue, anemia, blood in the stool, bad breath, abnormal behavior and collapse may indicate intoxication. If you see such symptoms, you should contact your local veterinarian immediately.

What Can You Do?

First of all, you should take various security measures in your home to protect your pets from such toxic substances. You should use natural and organic products as much as possible in your home. You should use safety locks in refrigerators, drawers, and cabinets. You should keep the toxic products in the list above out of the reach of your pet.