Products That Harm Dogs

This is the list thus far of  dangerous household products.  Please let me know if there are others that need to be added.

• Fabric Softeners and Detergent.  Soaps and cleaning products can be detrimental to your pet but Fabric Softeners are considered to be really high on the list for toxic poisoning.  Signs to look for are burns to the mouth, vomiting, coma, and muscle weakness.

• Moth Balls contain an insecticide that can be disastrous to the central nervous system and liver, causing seizures and death.

• Mouth Wash can contain a substance called boric acid which could cause vomiting, coma, or seizures.

• House Plants. Some household plants are extremely toxic to pets and can be fatal if eaten.  Some of these plants include aloe, ivy, lillies, and ferns.

• Watch Batteries contain alkaline acid which can be fatal causing the stomach to become ulcerated within 12 hours of ingestion.  Signs to watch for are vomiting, lethargy, and lack of appetite.

• Antifreeze has a taste and smell which is sweet for dogs making it so appealing to slurp.

• Pennies dated after 1981 are made from zinc with a thin copper coating. A dog swallowing just one of these pennies can suffer damage to red blood cells and kidney failure due to zinc poisoning.

If you think your dog has consumed something toxic call your vet or the ASCPA hotline 1-888-426-4435 right away.