March is National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month

Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month was established to bring awareness to us of how easily your pet can become poisoned around your home. Whether it is poisons in your garage (rodent poison, fertilizers, antifreeze), or in your cupboards (bleach, cleaners, detergents), or medications dropped on the floor or found in your purse (sanitizer, tylenol, sudafed), poisons are everywhere in our homes.

If you suspect your pet has eaten something poisonous, call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline for help immediately! The sooner a pet poisoning is diagnosed, the easier, less expensive and safer it is for your pet to get treated.

The Pet Poison Helpline is a 24-hour animal poison control service available throughout the U.S.A, Canada and the Caribbean for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a poisoned pet. They can be reached at 1 (855) 764-7661. There is a fee for its use.

What to do if your dog or cat is poisoned:

Remove your pet from the area.
Check to make sure your pet is breathing normally and acting fine otherwise.
Collect a sample of the material, along with packaging, vial, or container and save it - you will need that information when you talk to your Vet or Poison Helpline expert.
Do not induce vomiting without speaking to your Vet or Pet Poison helpline.
Do not give any home antidotes.
Get help. Contact your Veterinarian and/or Pet Poison Helpline 1 (855)764-7661. Keep Emergency Contact numbers and directions to your local 24- hour emergency pet hospital readily available on your phone.
Remember - the outcome is always better if you report a toxicity immediately. Do not wait to see if your pet becomes symptomatic before calling for help. There is a narrow window of time to decontaminate your pet (induce vomiting or pump the stomach) in the case of poisoning.

Five common poisonings in pets:

Rat Poison (rodenticide) - most rat poisons are anticoagulants which work at different speeds. As a result, animals who ingest them are at risk of internal and external bleeding. Signs of poisoning typically occur within two to five days of ingestion. Dogs or cats may experience external hemorrhaging, lethargy, depression or loss of appetite. This can lead to shock and death. As soon as ingestion is suspected - contact your Vet immediately.
Chocolate - Chocolate is a well known source of pet poisoning. Chocolate is toxic to animals due to a group of chemicals called methylxanthines which contain theobromine and caffeine. The amount contained in chocolate depends on the type of chocolate. Baking chocolate contains the most, followed by dark chocolate, and milk chocolate. White chocolate contains the least. The chemicals stimulates your pet’s central nervous system and heart muscle. Two to four hours after ingestion, your pet may appear agitated, vomit or have diarrhea. A few hours later, your pet may develop seizures and a heart rate disturbance known as arrhythmia. If left untreated, chocolate poisoning can be fatal within 18 to 24 hours. There is no antidote for chocolate intoxication. So, if your pet has eaten chocolate, contact your vet immediately and specify the type of chocolate ingested as well as the amount.
Ethylene glycol - ethylene glycol is mainly found in automotive antifreeze formulations such as radiator and brake fluids. This type of poisoning is common in small animals because these solutions have a sweet taste that is appealing to them. When ingested by an animal, ethylene glycol is rapidly absorbed and signs of poisoning can quickly appear. Between 30 minutes and 12 hours after ingestion, affected animals show depression, lack of coordination, loss of balance, faster breathing and vomiting. Soon after they will start to drink a lot of water, urinate a lot and become dehydrated. This results in cardiac arrest or acute kidney failure. Contact your vet immediately if you suspect ethylene glycol poisoning, since the chance of recovery is good if treatment is started within eight hours of ingestion for dogs and three hours for cats.
Cannabis - The ingestion of cannabis in the form of butts, resin, joint or cakes is toxic to animals. The poisoning is caused by the THC substance found in cannabis. Signs of THC poisoning are numerous and affects several systems: the nervous system (loss of balance, tremors, agitation and lethargy, convulsions and dilation of pupils), the respiratory system (faster or slower heart and breathing rates), the digestive system (vomiting, hypersalivation), as well as the control of body temperature (hypothermia or hyperthermia). Similar to chocolate poisoning, there is no antidote for cannabis poisoning. If your pet has ingested this substance, contact your vet immediately. If the ingestion is recent, your vet may induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal to reduce the absorption of the chemicals.
Chewing gum (xylitol) - Xylitol is the product used to sweeten chewing gum and it is toxic to animals. Xylitol is also found in sugar-free candy, chocolate bars, toothpaste and human chewable vitamins. Xylitol is extracted from birch bark and has a taste similar to white sugar. In humans, ingestion is safe, but in cats and dogs this sugar substitute causes a high release of insulin. Affected animals develop severe hypoglycemia usually within 10 - 60 minutes after ingestion. Signs include vomiting, decreased activity, muscle weakness, staggering gait, lack of coordination and convulsions. Since some animals do not show signs of poisoning until 12 - 24 hours later, seek veterinary attention immediately if your animal has ingested food or chewing gum containing xylitol, even if no signs of poisoning are yet visible.
In addition to these five common types of poisoning, don’t forget that many other products are toxic for our pets such as coffee, tea, grapes, alcohol, avocadoes, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, etc.

Source - Five common poisonings in Pets
Pet Poison Helpline