petFAQsPP

Poison Control
Important number 1-888-426-4435

Poisonous Plants
1. Lilies (Easter lily, Peace lily) - Cause SEVERE kidney failure. DO NOT HAVE THEM ANYWHERE AN ANIMAL CAN ACCESS THEM!
2. Yew - Causes trembling, incoordination, difficulty breathing, GI irritation, AND CARDIAC FAILURE.
3. Azelea/rhododendron - Causes vomiting and diarrhea, can be very severe, but rarely does an animal eat enough to do serious harm. Be careful in yards.
4. Tulip/narcissus bulbs - Cause intense GI irritation, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and cardiac abnormalities.
5. Cyclamen - Causes GI irritation, intense vomiting and even death.
6. Kalanchoe - Causes GI irritation and arrythmias.

Toxic Drugs/Substances
1. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen - toxicity is generally GI, liver and kidney.
2. Chocolate - toxicity depends on the type of chocolate (baking chocolate is the most dangerous and milk chocolate the least) and the amount of sugar and fat as well.
3. Rodenticides - toxicity is generally internal bleeding and can be caused by ingesting the product OR animals that have ingested the product. (JUST DON'T USE THEM! Traps really are the most humane for all involved.)
4. Pseudophedrine - toxicity is generally manifested as hyperactivity and agitation.

Got worms? Got kids?
Children and animals are a great combination. Puppies and kittens are VERY likely to be infested with intestinal parasites (i.e., worms!) While kids can't "get worms" from their pets, they can ingest worm eggs, which will hatch and try to complete their lifecycle in the human body. In the process, the juvenile worms will get lost. Therefore, the worms end up trying to develop in aberrant organs. A couple of worms in your biceps isn't a problem. A worm in your child's eye is. The risk is slim, but real. So refrain from "kissing" with the puppy and kitten, wash you hands after handling dogs and cats and allow us to develop a deworming regimen for your pet. More information can be found at the Companion Animal Parasite Council Consumer Website: www.petsandparasites.org and the Animal Diseases and Zoonoses Worldwide website: www.oie.int/wahid .

Heartworms in cats?
Cats can be infested with heartworms. Granted heartworms have to work harder to live in a cat than a dog, but they do MUCH more damage in a cat. When juvenile worms arrive in cats' lungs they often don't survive, but the inflammation they cause looks like "asthma" and can be severe. It is theorized that some "asthmatic" cats may actually be cats that are dealing with heartworm infestations. If the worms survive and become adults in the heart and main blood vessels in the lungs, they continue to cause inflammation while they are alive, but can kill the cat when the worms die. It looks like a massive asthmatic attack. It is recommended that all outdoor cats be tested and put on preventative which kills juvenile worms BEFORE they land in the lungs and damage them.

Diarrhea!
We ofthen see dogs with recurring diarrhea. Some of them prove to have Giardia, a one-celled intestinal parasite. Giardia is carried in the environment by wild animals and other dogs and cats. Dogs are exposed when "sniffing down the sidewalk" or poking around in the yard or woods. Giardia IS zoonotic (i.e., you and/or your children CAN contract it). If your pet has diarrhea for more than a day or two, have a stool sample checked. More information can be found at the Companion Animal Parasite Council Consumer Website: ww.petsandparasites.org and the Animal Diseases and Zoonoses Worldwide website:www.oie.int/wahid .