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Chocolate: Although many people are aware that chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs, it's something that is commonly left on a table or counter top. Dogs may tear into a box of candy when the opportunity presents itself. In large quantities, chocolate causes coma and death. In lesser quantities, it will cause gastrointestinal problems including diarrhea. The degree of toxicity depends on the weight of the animal and the amount and type of chocolate consumed. Semi-sweet and bakers chocolate, for instance, contain more theobromine than regular chocolate, making them even more toxic to animals. Dogs love chocolate, so don't let taste be a test of what is healthy. Anything containing cocoa or chocolate should be avoided.
Grapes & Raisins: Though it isn't clear to scientists just what makes grapes and raisins toxic to both cats and dogs, even a relatively small amount can damage the kidneys. For this reason it's unwise to feed these to your pet, even if small amounts are tolerated. Also avoid giving bits of cookie or other foods that contain raisins.
Tomatoes and tomato plants: Tomatoes of all kinds are toxic to cats, as are parts of the tomato plant. Ingesting as little as a cherry tomato can cause severe gastrointestinal upset.
Human medications : Cats may want to "play" with a shiny foil, or roll a noisy pill bottle, or one that should never be given without veterinary advice as it needs to be given in much smaller doses, and at much longer intervals to be safe for felines, and so prescription is reserved for special circumstances only.
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) : Have the car's antifreeze changed at a commercial garage rather than in your own to eliminate the possibility of spills. If that is not possible, keep pets out of the garage, and be meticulous in clean up if spillage occurs. Do not spray the spill with water and flush the solution out onto the road since it smells and tastes sweet and will attract animals. Make sure changed fluid is recycled properly and not dumped down the drain. Better yet, buy a "pet friendly" version of antifreeze that is safer.
Oils, tars, grease, gasoline-petroleum products: All of these are very toxic to cats! If there are spills on the garage floor, do not attempt to clean with the garden hose as this carries the material out onto the street and drive, where cats (and wild birds etc) can drink the contaminated water. Use sawdust or kitty litter to "soak up" the spill for a half day, then dispose of the contaminated material according to hazardous waste guidelines. Make sure oil from oil changes is recycled, and not dumped down drains. If your car leaks oil into the garage, get the leak fixed and used cardboard or cat litter to catch and soak up drips, then remove the soiled material promptly. Keep cats out of garages or tool sheds. Ensure toxic fumes do not build up in enclosures.
Petroleum distillates, paint, paint solvents; strippers, thinners, nail polish, nail polish removers, hair spray : Can contain many harmful compounds including trichloroethylene, benzene, xylene, trichloroethane, acetone, and others.
Alcohol : Isopropyl rubbing alcohol from the first aid kit, the ethyl alcohol in beverages or ethyl alcohol from fermentation of bread dough are all potential sources of toxicity for pets. Methanol is wood alcohol, and found in windshield wiper fluids and some other products. Lysol ® household cleaner is very high in alcohol. Keep all of these out of the reach of pets to prevent poisoning.
Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) : Never combine bleach with cleaners containing acids or ammonia or a release of toxic chlorine/chloramine gases will occur. Do not leave bleach to soak surfaces while Kitty enters the bathroom unattended since contact irritation can occur if Kitty walks on the cleaner. Mildew removal products may contain calcium hypochlorite and this is about twice as deadly as the regular bleach.
Pine Oils : Pine Sol ® is a cleaning solution containing high concentrations of pine oil alcohols derived from pine tree wood. Turpentine is another such preparation consisting of pine oil terpenes. Cats are particularly sensitive to pine oils because they lack an efficient liver enzyme system to detoxify them.
Phenols : As mentioned above cats are sensitive to Lysol cleaner but not only because of their sensitivity to the alcohol in the product. This cleaner also contains phenols and cats have problems detoxifying this type of poison due to the low efficiency of the detoxifying liver enzymes.
Chlorine, bromine : Chlorinated cleaners contain bleach-see note above. Pool chemicals may contain very high concentrations of these compounds and so should be kept away from cats.
Furniture polish : May contain petroleum distillates which are toxic to cats .
Pesticides, herbicides, rodenticides, fungicides : bait, collars, spot on applicators, sprays, granules, and powders may contain a number of toxic compounds.
The pyrethroids are synthetic pyrethrins such as permethrin. The natural pyrethrins are Chrysanthemum flower extracts. The synthetic formulations are very toxic to cats, so do not ever use dog products on cats.
Piperonyl butoxide is often added to pyrethrin type products to help lengthen the activity of the pyrethrin and synergize it's action.
Carbamate and organophosphate insecticides are often combined with other agents, and cats are especially susceptible to chlorpyrifos.
Anticoagulant rodenticides (strychnine, bromethalin) are poisons that lead to lack of ability to clot the blood.
Metaldehyde snail and slug bait is an example of a very toxic compound for pets and also wild birds. If it must be used, follow manufacturer's guidelines and set bait in a place that is inaccessible to cats or any animals.
Mothballs (naphthalene, paradichlorobenzene) are to be avoided, especially in the outdoor environment (toxic to wildlife).
Boric acid dust or solution is corrosive and toxic to pets, and commonly found in ant killer and cleaners.
Fertilizer : As with lawn weed killer products, read manufacturer instructions carefully. Some granular and liquid sprays contain enough concentrated nutrients so that contact exposure can lead to paw irritation.
Pressure treated wood : Slow release around the wood of the impregnated fungicide can contaminate water.
Batteries : Though puppies are the silly bandits most commonly found chewing on household batteries, leaking batteries are a risk to any pet. If a cat brushes up against an old leaky battery, the acids transferred to the fur can lead to burns of the tongue during grooming, or local contact chemical burns. Old batteries should be disposed of by recycling. Large batteries that spill are very dangerous as concentrated sulfuric acid can literally eat through the pads of a cat walking over the area. Small round button batteries like those in watches and cameras are sometimes swallowed, and usually pass through without harm, but cats may get them lodged in their food pipe (esophagus) where it may block the tube or cause perforation.
To help pet owners learn how to make their homes poison safe, the APCC has developed a pet safety website, http://www.aspca.org/apcc, which offers a variety of educational materials to download.
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Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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